DBT Transformation Pipeline
The dbt (data build tool) project transforms raw clinical trial data through a Medallion Architecture into analytics-ready datasets and CDISC-compliant domains.
Enterprise Feature
DBT pipeline and semantic views are available in Enterprise editions.
Overview

Medallion Architecture
| Layer | Schema | Purpose | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | bronze | Raw 1:1 source copy | stg_* staging models |
| Silver | silver | Cleaned, validated, enriched | int_* intermediate models |
| Gold | gold | Analytics-ready facts & dimensions | dim_*, fact_* models |
| Semantic | gold | Pre-joined business views | sem_* models |
| CDISC | cdisc | Regulatory-compliant domains | cdisc_* models |
Bronze (Raw) → Silver (Clean) → Gold (Analytics) → Semantic (BI)
stg_* int_* dim_*/fact_* sem_*
Key Models
Dimension Tables (dim_*)
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
dim_study | Study master data |
dim_site | Site information |
dim_subject | Subject demographics |
dim_patient | Patient records |
dim_date | Date dimension |
Fact Tables (fact_*)
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
fact_enrollment | Enrollment events |
fact_adverse_event | Adverse events |
fact_visit | Study visits |
fact_vital_sign | Vital measurements |
fact_lab_result | Lab test results |
Semantic Views (sem_*)
Pre-joined, business-friendly views for analytics:
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
sem_clinical_summary | One-row-per-subject with all key data |
sem_adverse_events | AE metrics aggregated by subject |
sem_enrollment_metrics | Monthly enrollment with cumulative totals |
CDISC Domains
Regulatory-compliant domains following CDISC SDTM standards:
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
cdisc_dm | Demographics |
cdisc_ae | Adverse Events |
cdisc_vs | Vital Signs |
cdisc_lb | Laboratory Results |
cdisc_cm | Concomitant Medications |
Exposures
DBT exposures document how models are consumed by downstream systems:
| Exposure | Consumer | Models |
|---|---|---|
| Cube Semantic Layer | Cube.dev | All dim_*, fact_*, sem_* |
| CDISC Export | Regulatory submissions | All cdisc_* |
| BI Dashboards | Metabase, Superset | sem_* views |
Quick Commands
# Run full pipeline
dbt run
# Run by layer
dbt run --select staging
dbt run --select dimensions
dbt run --select facts
dbt run --select tag:cdisc
# Run tests
dbt test
# Generate docs
dbt docs generate && dbt docs serve