Clinical Trial Markup Language (CTML) is an open standard that was created by DFCI and Harvard Medical School. Creating CTML files in YAML format files manually was very time consuming and prone to typos and errors. We came up with the idea of a software that can create CTML files in a user friendly manner. The new CTIMS software enables users to easily create CTML files. As part of the UHN CDI Grand challenge 2022, CTIMS proposal was selected as the Prize Winner. Pugh Lab and CDI teams collaborated to create CTIMS, while taking into consideration input from multiple users and stakeholders. CTIMS follows strict UHN Security guidelines.
CTIMS has four components namely Assembler, Editor, Matcher and Viewer. The Assembler converts study data from cBioPortal format to MatchMiner format, either from locally saved cBioPortal study files or by retrieving data via the cBioPortal API. CTIMS Editor helps to create CTMLs efficiently and store them in a database. CTIMS Matcher is the DFCI MatchMiner Engine. DFCI MatchMiner uses CTML files to find patient trial matches. CTIMS Editor integrates with MatchMiner via MatchMiner API and Message Queue for supporting QuickMatch. QuickMatch allows the curator to quickly verify the CTML. CTIMS Viewer stores the match results for data analysis and visualization. CTIMS Viewer API supports integration with cBioPortal so that the trial match results can be viewed in cBioPortal along with patient data. CTIMS supports Authentication and Authorization using Keycloak.
