The Research Patient Data Registry (RPDR) is a centralized clinical data registry, or data warehouse. The RPDR gathers data from various hospital legacy systems and stores it in one place. Researchers access this data using the RPDR online Query Tool. They may query the RPDR data for aggregate totals and, with proper IRB approval, obtain medical record data. The RPDR brings clinical information to the researcher's fingertips and ensures the security of patient information by controlling and auditing the distribution of patient data within the guidelines of the IRB and with the use of several built-in, automated security measures.

The use of this application compares and contrasts with prior patient cohort search methodologies such as medical record review and the use of Information Systems requests. All of these methods ultimately return a set of patients that match certain criteria. They differ in that the RPDR allows the user to perform the search on-line in real time, resulting in faster turnaround and with extensive specificity of patient criteria. The alternatives leave the confidentiality of the Partners' patient much more exposed, often returning entire medical records when only focused information is required.