01
Where it fits—and where it doesn’t
Use these four checks before committing implementation time.
- Use it when
- Analyses that must run consistently across PCORnet partners while each institution retains operational control of local data.
- Do not use it as
- Do not treat PCORnet CDM as a complete solution on its own. The CDM deliberately preserves source values and does not itself impose all plausibility or consistency edits; ETL fidelity and study-specific fitness remain separate gates.
- Best for
- Teams working with Real-world evidence and Clinical data across Harmonize → Learn + reuse.
- Maturity
- EstablishedEstablished enough for serious use; still pin the exact release and any implementation profile.
02
See it in the workflow
A standard creates value by changing a handoff, not by existing in a catalog.
- InputWhat starts
Real-world evidence and Clinical data, metadata, and the local decisions around them
- PCORnet CDMWhat changes
PCORnet CDM applies a shared data model / schema across Harmonize → Learn + reuse
- OutputWhat becomes possible
A more consistent, reviewable handoff for the next system or team
03
A concrete example
Each partner transforms local sources into v7.0, runs the current PCORnet data checks, and executes a shared query without pooling patient-level data centrally.
Why it matters: A common multi-site feature surface helps reproducibility, but site heterogeneity, missingness, refresh timing, label construction, and distributed-learning governance remain material.
04
What it fits with
Uses controlled code systems including LOINC and medication vocabularies; it is an alternative network contract to OMOP and Sentinel, not a drop-in equivalent.
- Data model / schemaOMOP CDM
Both support Real-world evidence and Clinical work and meet around Harmonize, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - TerminologyLOINC
Both support Clinical and Real-world evidence work and meet around Harmonize, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - TerminologySNOMED CT
Both support Clinical and Real-world evidence work and meet around Harmonize, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - Ontology ecosystemOBO Foundry
Both support Clinical work and meet around Harmonize, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship
05
Implementation starter
Start with one bounded handoff. Pin, test, and review it before scaling.
Name an accountable owner and the decision PCORnet CDM must support.
Pin the exact version and companion artifacts: v7.0 · 2025-05-01; Data Checks v20 · July 2026.
Map one representative input to the required data model / schema artifacts.
Test the result against the canonical source and record every exception.
Preserve the source data, mappings, and review evidence before scaling.
06
Limitation to test first—and the tests that catch it
The CDM deliberately preserves source values and does not itself impose all plausibility or consistency edits; ETL fidelity and study-specific fitness remain separate gates.
Run one representative end-to-end pilot and record exactly where PCORnet CDM loses context, needs an extension, or depends on another standard.
A structured or machine-readable result can still be unfit for analysis or AI.
Test the output for missing context, provenance, terminology alignment, time leakage, and the intended downstream decision. A common multi-site feature surface helps reproducibility, but site heterogeneity, missingness, refresh timing, label construction, and distributed-learning governance remain material.
07
Why we believe this
Checked against the canonical source plus independent operational evidence from an adopter, regulator, or implementation report.
Evidence notation: E1 + E2. The code is shorthand; the plain-language statement above is the claim.
08
Source shelf
Official diagrams, examples, specifications, and explainers. Nothing external loads until you choose to open it.
PCORnet CDM specification and checks
The canonical publisher or steward source used to verify this data model / schema profile.
- Publisher
- PCORnet Network Partners
- Rights
- Rights remain with the publisher; this knowledge base links to the source rather than copying it.
- Access
- Opens the publisher's source in a new tab; no external media loads on this page.
- Verified
- 2026-07-13