Frequently Asked Questions

The goal of the CoRDS registry is to connect those affected by rare diseases with researchers who study rare diseases. The CoRDS registry is made up of data submitted by individuals with rare diseases or their caretakers.

CoRDS provides a secure way for participants to share their data (with personally identifiable information removed) with researchers. If you have been diagnosed with a rare disease, a disease with unknown prevalence, or don’t yet have a diagnosis, you are invited to enroll in CoRDS by filling out the CoRDS Activation Form and completing the questionnaire.

Researchers who study rare diseases can apply to access the registry’s de-identified database. That means the researchers will not see any of your identifying information, such as your name or address. If you are a potential fit for the researcher’s study, CoRDS personnel will contact you to share the opportunity. It is always up to you if you would like to participate in a study or clinical trial. If applicable, you may also consent to share your information with certain patient advocacy groups (PAGs) or existing registries.

The CoRDS registry provides opportunities to be informed of research studies or clinical trials for which you may be eligible. It also creates a central resource for researchers for more rapid recruitment of research participants. The CoRDS registry has the potential to accelerate research into rare diseases. It is also free to enroll and takes little time.

The CoRDS registry is open to any individual, of any age, who has been diagnosed with a rare disease, a disease of unknown prevalence or is still awaiting a diagnosis.

There are only a few steps to enroll:

Yes, we take your privacy and security seriously. Your identifiable information can only be accessed by CoRDS personnel and any patient advocacy group with whom you consent to share your information. All electronic information is stored in the secure Patient Enrollment site. All hard copy information, such as consent forms and questionnaires, is stored in a locked fireproof cabinet. Every possible effort will be made to maintain confidentiality – and if a breach ever occurs, CoRDS personnel will contact you.

There are three different ways data may be shared:

• Researchers: The de-identified information in CoRDS will be made available to researchers studying rare, uncommon or undiagnosed disorders if they have obtained approval for their research project from (1) the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the researcher’s institution and (2) the CoRDS Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB is a group of scientists and laypersons (e.g., lawyers, clergy and professors) who review proposed research using human subjects. The SAB will review the research to ensure that the rights of CoRDS participants are upheld.
• Other Patient Registries: A subset of de-identified information collected from each profile can be shared with some other databases. CoRDS shares data with other databases to help improve researchers’ understanding of rare diseases, to avoid duplication of efforts, and to collaborate with existing research efforts and organizations dedicated to rare diseases.
• Patient Advocacy Groups: Patient advocacy groups (PAGs) representing individuals with rare or uncommon diseases who have partnered with CoRDS may also request access to information in CoRDS that may or may not include participants’ names. The PAG will sign an agreement stating they will not use the information for research purposes. If a participant indicates that they would like their information shared in this way, CoRDS personnel will not be held responsible for the use of information by the PAG.

You will be able to choose which ways you would like your data shared.

You can still enroll in the CoRDS registry. CoRDS offers a unique opportunity for individuals with rare diseases by creating a central repository for all rare diseases instead of single diseases at a time.

The CoRDS questionnaire will ask you for basic contact, demographic and clinical information as well as your interest in future research participation. The questionnaire is designed to be relevant to all rare diseases as outlined by the NIH Office of Rare Disease Research (ORDR) in their Common Data Elements.

At minimum, you will hear from CoRDS annually, when it is time to update your information on the CoRDS questionnaire. If a researcher requests that we contact you on their behalf, we will do so to inform you of the research opportunity.

We do not know how often researchers will want to contact our participants, though our Scientific Advisory Board reviews requests regularly and works as quickly as possible to provide any opportunity for research participation. It is also possible that a researcher has not yet requested to get in touch with you, or that we don’t have the correct contact information in our database. So be sure to keep your information up to date.

We try to fix any bugs in our system as quickly as possible, and we apologize for any inconvenience these may cause you. Please email us or call our toll-free number (877) 658-9192 to reach CoRDS personnel who would be happy to help you troubleshoot.

If your username and password aren’t working or you have lost track of them, email us and we will reset and resend it to you.

If you wish to withdraw from the CoRDS registry, please send us an email or call us to let us know. We will then give you the opportunity to decide what you would like us to do with your data.

• Email
• Call: (877) 658-9192

If you would like to learn more about rare diseases, visit our Patients and Visitors page to find helpful links and educational material developed here at Sanford Health. You also can visit our video library to watch videos about rare disease.

Of course! Anyone who may be interested in learning more about or enrolling in the registry is welcome to submit the CoRDS Activation Form or contact CoRDS personnel to learn more.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions. CoRDS personnel can be reached by calling (877) 658-9192 or by email.

The Coordination of Rare Diseases at Sanford (CoRDS) is a registry that stores information on individuals affected by a rare disease – and others who have not yet been diagnosed with a rare disease – to help accelerate research into rare diseases. It was developed because access to information about rare diseases presents a challenge to researchers, physicians, patients and their families.

CoRDS provides a better way for researchers conducting studies or clinical trials to search for individuals who are interested and may be able to participate. The CoRDS registry also keeps individuals and families aware of any opportunities to participate in research studies or clinical trials.

Rare disease registries help researchers:

• Learn how certain treatments of rare diseases may or may not be effective
• Accelerate their research efforts by storing individual information that is accessible for the recruitment and contact of potential participants for clinical research studies
• Help medical professionals improve treatment of patients with rare diseases
• Notify individuals of opportunities for clinical research studies or clinical trials

CoRDS provides a secure way for participants to give basic health information to researchers without compromising privacy. Individuals who have a diagnosis of a rare disease, an uncommon disease of unknown prevalence, or who are searching for a diagnosis are invited to enroll in CoRDS. To enroll, participants fill out the CoRDS Activation Form and complete a questionnaire.

Researchers can apply for access to the CoRDS registry if they have IRB approval for their research. After approval by the CoRDS Scientific Advisory Board, they will be able to access de-identified data from the CoRDS registry.

CoRDS is different from other rare disease registries because:

• CoRDS collects information on all rare diseases and can collate information based on a disease characteristic or symptom. These capabilities help researchers understand what causes rare diseases and develop treatments.
• CoRDS is IRB-approved.
• The CoRDS Questionnaire is brief and asks simple questions about contact information and diagnoses. 
• CoRDS personnel will update participant information annually to maintain accurate data.
• CoRDS personnel will notify participants of research opportunities related to rare disease research.

There are approximately 7,000 rare diseases affecting 25 million Americans and 350 million people worldwide. Research into rare diseases is challenging due to a lack of information. CoRDS was established as a resource to bring rare disease patients and researchers together to accelerate research into these orphan diseases.

Collecting and collating data on all rare diseases creates an opportunity to perform a comparative analysis across disciplines, thereby improving understanding and treatment of each disease. This initiative offers substantially more potential to families, physicians and researchers to make progress for their particular disease of interest.

Patient advocacy groups (PAGs) often have an interest in establishing a patient registry for a particular disease because it can be an effective way to advance research into the disease – and with rare diseases, there is often a lack of data. Establishing a registry can be challenging for PAGs due to the amount of money, time, infrastructure and ongoing support needed.

CoRDS provides a secure, centralized registry for all rare diseases so that PAGs can help connect affected individuals and families with the researchers who study their disease without investing the PAG’s own limited resources. In this way, CoRDS offers a unique opportunity to advance research and provides a valuable resource to PAGs, individuals and researchers alike.

CoRDS is happy to collaborate in any way that is helpful to an organization. If a PAG already has a satisfactory registry, CoRDS can share information and reduce duplicate efforts when indicated by a participant’s Informed Consent Form. If a PAG no longer wishes to host their own registry, CoRDS has the capability and approval to accept a data transfer from an existing registry, and perform any required participant re-consenting.

Any organization representing a rare disease, or individuals affected by rare disease, can become a CoRDS partner. In addition, organizations representing individuals with an uncommon disorder of unknown prevalence are invited to become CoRDS partners. CoRDS partners are invited to inform their membership about the opportunity to enroll in CoRDS.

There are many different types of CoRDS partnerships to meet the needs of rare disease organizations. PAGs can become a CoRDS partners if they would be interested in setting up a registry for a particular rare disease, if they would like to move their registry to CoRDS, or if they would simply like to refer their membership to enroll in CoRDS.

Yes. Participants can authorize CoRDS to share information with a specific patient advocacy group for non-research purposes. A Participation Agreement outlines how the CoRDS partner can access and use this shared information. The CoRDS partner organization will receive a unique username and password to access data from the registry.

CoRDS personnel realize how helpful it is to speak and answer questions in person. Individuals from the CoRDS team often attend conferences of CoRDS partners to speak and host an exhibit booth. If CoRDS personnel are available, CoRDS would love to attend any partner’s annual conference. Please contact us with information on your event and to check availability:

• Email
• Call: (877) 658-9192

Researchers will only see de-identified patient data – data stripped of personally identifiable information.

The CoRDS questionnaire is brief and includes questions about demographic information, clinical diagnosis, when and how the diagnosis was confirmed, and if the participant has interest in participating in future research studies or clinical trials. The questions cover all required and several recommended topics in the most recent version of the Common Data Elements (CDE), published by the Office of Rare Disease Research (ORDR). Researchers who are interested in including CoRDS participants in their research studies will contact CoRDS personnel who will then notify the individuals of the research opportunity.

CoRDS partners with patient advocacy groups (PAGs) to develop disease-specific questionnaires which provide additional clinical and diagnostic data on participants.

No, there is no cost to access the registry.

CoRDS is internally funded by Sanford Research, a division of Sanford Health.

Any researcher with approval from IRB or an ethics committee can apply for review by our advisory board.

If you are a researcher interested in accessing the CoRDS Registry, complete the CoRDS Researcher Access Request Form and return it by email.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions. CoRDS personnel can be reached by phone at (877) 658-9192 or by email.