VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure

VINCI stands for the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure. It’s a secure research platform developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to support health services research using VA electronic health record (EHR) data.

What is VINCI?

VINCI houses VA health data in a secure environment for over 20 million Veterans, encompassing more than 7 billion lab tests, 3 billion procedures, 3 billion clinical notes, 2 billion diagnoses, 2 billion medication fills, 2 billion outpatient visits, and 14 million inpatient visits. This information ranges from data included in self-reported lifestyle surveys to genetic sequencing. Its primary goal is to support clinical and research inquiries that enhance patient care and guide administrative decision-making.

Think of VINCI as a powerful research environment where approved researchers can access and analyze detailed, real-world data from millions of Veterans across the country.

VINCI is designed to enhance researchers' access to VA data and support the analysis of that data, all while maintaining strict safeguards for Veterans' privacy and data security. Researchers across the VA community are encouraged to explore the tools and resources VINCI offers.

Why VINCI?

Advanced Analytical Tool

VINCI integrates sophisticated analytical tools that streamline the research process, making it easier to manage and analyze large volumes of data efficiently. These tools support high-quality research that is both reliable and impactful.

Extensive Data Availability

VINCI offers researchers extensive access to diverse healthcare datasets, including inpatient/outpatient records, lab results, pharmacy data, procedures, and diagnoses. Spanning many years, this data supports comprehensive clinical research. As funding agencies prioritize translational research, VINCI is positioned to help bridge basic science and clinical application.

Inferred Practical Outcomes

VINCI's capabilities are particularly valuable for studying medication use, treatment patterns, and health outcomes in large, diverse patient populations. This practical focus ensures that research findings are directly applicable to real-world medical practices and policies.

Focus on Diverse Research Initiatives

Real-World Evidence Generation

Gain insights from clinical settings to enhance the applicability of basic research findings.

Retrospective Cohort
Studies

Examine historical data to uncover trends and outcomes over time.

Comparitive Effectiveness Research

Evaluate the relative outcomes of different treatments to inform patient care decisions.

Causal Inference Analyses

Determine cause-and-effect relationships in health studies, critical for understanding the impact of medical interventions,

Meet DRI's VINCI Lead

Dr. Ryan Pittman is a Senior Research Data Scientist at the Dorn Research Institute. He earned a master's and PhD in statistics from the University of South Carolina. After completing his PhD in 2022, he joined DRI, where he collaborates with researchers to utilize big data for addressing Veteran-focused health challenges.

As a data scientist, Dr. Pittman specializes in analyzing electronic health records (EHRs) through longitudinal studies, comparative effectiveness, causal inference, predictive modeling, and more.

For any questions regarding VINCI, Dr. Pittman's contact information is available below.