Critical Care Data Dictionary

Critical Care Data Dictionary

Standardize clinical data collection to advance research and improve patient outcomes.

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Discovery, the Critical Care Research Network, from the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) recognizes the need for standardized data in advancing research and improving patient outcomes in critical care. An article published in the May 2025 issue of Critical Care Medicine describes the development of the Critical Care Data Dictionary (C2D2). 

The C2D2 is a free standardized set of essential definitions used to consistently document and report critical care research data across healthcare systems. It defines key variables in critical care research, including patient demographics, vital signs, treatments, and outcomes.

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Why Use the C2D2?

  • Consistency across studies: By providing standardized definitions for key clinical variables, the C2D2 enables researchers to compare data across multiple studies and centers, ensuring consistent findings.
  • Improved data quality: The adoption of standardized definitions and data collection protocols enhances the accuracy and reliability of research findings, providing a strong foundation for evidence-based practices in critical care.
  • Advancing scientific research: Standardized data collection supports the identification of patterns, trends, and associations in critical care, leading to new insights that can guide clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.

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Critical Care Data Dictionary Toolkit 

Get the C2D2 and case report forms designed to facilitate the collection of standardized data in a clinical setting. These forms ensure that researchers consistently capture all necessary variables, which is vital for high-quality, comparable research.

How to Use the Toolkit

  1. Download the C2D2 and case report forms.
  2. Review and implement the data definitions. Familiarize yourself with the data definitions outlined in the C2D2.
  3. Utilize the case report forms. The case report forms are designed to facilitate the collection of standardized data in a clinical setting.
  4. Foster collaboration across studies. The standardized nature of the C2D2 encourages collaboration among researchers across different institutions and research studies.

Complete the form below to download.

 

Discovery Critical Care Data Dictionary (C2D2) Pilot Grant

This one-time grant awarded in 2026 supports an innovative, investigator-initiated project that advances standardized, high-quality critical care data across institutions and utilizes the Discovery Critical Care Data Dictionary.

C2D2-VISTA: A Versatile Infrastructure for Harmonized ICU Data Transformation and Quality Assurance

Randall Wetzel, MBBS, MBA, FAAP, FCCM
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California, USA

Sareen Shah, MD
Cedars Sinai Medical Centers
Los Angeles, California, USA

L. Nelson Sanchez-Pinto, MD, MBI, FAMIA
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, USA

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