Evaluation of a data warehouse in an academic health sciences center.

A data warehouse can provide significant benefits to a health care organization if successfully designed and implemented. The Clinical Data Repository (CDR) at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center improves access to needed data for clinical research and effective decision making at many levels of the organization. We conducted an evaluation of the CDR using a survey questionnaire and interviews of key executive leaders. Our results suggest factors that influence the initial decision to use an information resource, examine the impact of communication channels, and highlight key issues that determine the continued use and ultimate success of a healthcare data warehouse.