New implementation of data standards for AI in oncology. Experience from the EuCanImage project

ABSTRACT Background An unprecedented amount of personal health data, with the potential to revolutionise precision medicine, is generated at healthcare institutions worldwide. The exploitation of such data using artificial intelligence relies on the ability to combine heterogeneous, multicentric, multimodal and multiparametric data, as well as thoughtful representation of knowledge and data availability. Despite these possibilities, significant methodological challenges and ethico-legal constraints still impede the real-world implementation of data models. Technical details The EuCanImage is an international consortium aimed at developing AI algorithms for precision medicine in oncology and enabling secondary use of the data based on necessary ethical approvals. The use of well-defined clinical data standards to allow interoperability was a central element within the initiative. The consortium is focused on three different cancer types and addresses seven unmet clinical needs. We have conceived and implemented an innovative process to capture clinical data from hospitals, transform it into the newly developed EuCanImage data models and then store the standardised data in permanent repositories. This new workflow combines recognized software (REDCap for data capture), data standards (FHIR for data structuring) and an existing repository (EGA for permanent data storage and sharing), with newly developed custom tools for data transformation and quality control purposes (ETL pipeline, QC scripts) to complement the gaps. Conclusion This article synthesises our experience and procedures for healthcare data interoperability, standardisation and reproducibility.