BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS
The cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid™ (caBIG™) leverages the combined strengths and expertise of researchers, cancer centers, others in the cancer community and relevant stakeholder organizations-including industry-to provide a unifying information infrastructure for connecting data, research tools, scientists, physicians and patients. Indeed, the National Cancer Institute believes that caBIG™ will help redefine how cancer research is conducted and, eventually, how cancer care is provided.
One focus of the NCCCP pilot program is to increase knowledge of infrastructure requirements, necessary interfaces, and applicability of specific components of caBIG™ for community hospital settings and increase implementation of electronic medical records and exploration of the application of electronic medical records in the provision of cancer care.
For Professionals
caBIG™ is designed to benefit not only the current caBIG™ community but also those in the broader biomedical field, for whom the shared environment offers an advantage as well. The caBIG™ infrastructure and tools are widely applicable beyond the cancer community, fostering advances in the care of patients with other diseases. caBIG™ software is open-source, meaning anyone can use it or modify it without a licensing fee. Moreover, all caBIG™ tools and data are freely available.
Tools Fact Sheet and an Online Inventory of Tools
Provides descriptions of current and planned caBIG™ products. These are available at: https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/overview/caBIG_Tool_Sheet.pdf
and
https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/inventory
Notable Developments in caBIG™
Noted in periodic updates and posted online. Documents, including white papers and other policies, have also been developed and can be viewed online.
http://caBIG.nci.nih.gov/Program_Updates
Online Training Portal
Provides information on opportunities for training with caBIG™ tools and other training resources.
https://caBIG.nci.nih.gov/training
Interoperability
The ability to exchange information between systems in a meaningful way
is a primary strategic goal of caBIG™. The development of interoperable
software and systems is ensured in several ways. The most effective solutions
are those that are constructed not as single, monolithic, all-purpose
systems, but rather as a number of well-defined modules that can be adopted
as needed and integrated using open standards. Guidelines related to caBIG™
interoperability are available.
https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/guidelines_documentation
caBIG™ Web Site
This site includes a wealth of resources. Weekly news is posted on the home page in "What's BIG This Week," which lists all meetings and teleconferences, key outcomes of those meetings and other important activities.
https://caBIG.nci.nih.gov.
For Patients
A comprehensive Web site to inform the public about the importance and role of caBIG™ can be found at http://cabig.cancer.gov.
The caBIG™ Primer, which provides a high-level overview of caBIG™, can be accessed at https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/overview/cabig-primer.
Patient Advocates have been associated with the caBIG™ initiative since its launch. Read their "Statement of Expectations, Purpose, and Goals" at https://caBIG.nci.nih.gov/patientadvocatestatement.pdf.
