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Hub-and-spoke networks are commonly used when there are a larger number of institutions where each one trusts the others. Hub-and-spoke networks are simpler to configure, but create single points of failure - the hubs.
See Video Presentation by David Ortiz
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Spin has evolved from a pathology-specific utility to a generalized framework for query federation. Spin is data-agnostic, and consequently is not intended to support specific data types by default. However, applications written using Spin support querying for specific data types. For example: Coded clinical data can be searched using the SHRINE system, including Demographics, Diagnoses(ICD9),Medications(RxNorm) and Lab values. Medical free text can be searched using PSL and the SCRUBBER.