DSF for your project
Summary
Use case agnostic middleware: DSF is adaptable to any distributed process, leveraging BPMN 2.0 and FHIR R4 for secure, efficient data sharing across various biomedical research scenarios.
Security: DSF prioritizes security through stringent authentication and authorization protocols, ensuring data is accessed and shared only by authorized organizations to maintain data confidentiality and integrity.
Proven in clinical research: Deployed in German university hospitals, DSF's effectiveness and reliability are validated in real-world settings.
Implementation guidance: DSF offers resources on how to implement new process plugins.
Overview of DSF
The Data Sharing Framework (DSF) is a secure middleware solution designed to facilitate data sharing across different organizations for biomedical research. It utilizes BPMN 2.0 and FHIR R4 standards to support processes such as data extraction, merging, pseudonymization, and provisioning. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the Medical Informatics initiative, the DSF aims to improve data interoperability and security across institutional boundaries.
Key features and benefits
Distributed data sharing processes
DSF enables distributed data sharing by providing each participating site with a FHIR endpoint and a business process engine. This setup ensures that data can be securely shared and processed across different sites, facilitating cross-site data sharing and feasibility analyses.
Flexibility with data standards
While DSF primarily uses the FHIR R4 standard to ensure high-quality data exchange, it is designed to be open and adaptable to other data formats. This flexibility allows for a wide range of data types to be incorporated into research projects.
Security and access control
Security is a critical component of DSF, which includes robust authentication and authorization protocols. These protocols ensure that data access and sharing are restricted to authorized organizations, maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of the data.
Deployment in clinical environments
DSF is already deployed and operational in Data Integration Centers at German university hospitals, demonstrating its applicability and reliability in real-world clinical research settings.
Getting started with the DSF
If you're looking to leverage the DSF for your research or you're interested in exploring how it can enhance your data sharing needs, we're here to support you. Visit the Learn how to implement your use case page to start your journey towards integrating the DSF into your research project.
Should you have any questions or need personalized assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to the DSF core team directly at dsf-gecko@hs-heilbronn.de.
Embark on your DSF journey today and join a community committed to advancing biomedical research through secure, interoperable data sharing.