Electronic clinical trial protocol distribution via the World-Wide Web: a prototype for reducing costs and errors, improving accrual, and saving trees

Design aspects of a distributed clinical trials information system

Backgound Clinical trials informatics has evolved through the development of multiple applications addressing distinct parts of the clinical trials cycle. This setting creates difficulties in the transport and sharing of data among applications that serve a common functionality.

Purpose We present an alternative approach for the design of clinical trials information systems consisting of loosely coupled components standing on a comprehensive model of the global clinical trial process.

Methods We describe how such a structure is able to support the development and implementation of complex knowledge-driven modules, such as automated database query systems, reporting systems and intelligent data-analysis tools, and how currently available internet technologies may be used to support the independent development of applications and collaboration between researchers.

Results These principles were applied to the development of a fully functional system that has been in production for eight years in a diversity of pharmaceutical and academic drug trials. Marked time savings in database set-up and statistical reporting have been documented, as well as good reliability in the selection of appropriate statistical methods to clinical trial data analysis.

Conclusions In order to meet the expected functionality and to avoid the proliferation of databases and software applications, clinical trials information systems need to be based on a generic model of clinical trials and on a distributed architecture.

New electronic protocol for home enteral nutrition therapy

BACKGROUND

Informatics can help the development of home enteral nutrition therapy (HENT). By using an electronic protocol with an electronic database it is possible to organize, structure and manage, information.

AIM

To develop an electronic protocol for data collection on treatment of patients with home enteral nutrition.

METHOD

After a review in theoretical material about home enteral nutrition therapy, 1793 data collection items were selected and grouped into nine categories: patient identification, nutritional assessment, dietetics prescription, indications for enteral nutrition, access to enteral nutrition options, composition of enteral nutrition, administration system, complications, and readmission. Was used the Electronic Integrated Computerized Procotols System (SINPE©) to organize that knowledge and the database that attends this research was named Informatized Master Protocol of HENT. The last step was the creation of a specific protocol to collect data by using informations from this database.

RESULTS

After installing the program, the system recognizes the user by identifying a pre-defined security authorization and also provides a screen to select a master protocol which the user can access. Items that arrange the specific protocol are contained in the Master Protocol and the information for this protocol are displayed.

CONCLUSION

It was possible to create an electronic protocol for HENT patients care with safety data based on research in enteral nutrition support.

Automated matching software for clinical trials eligibility: measuring efficiency and flexibility

BACKGROUND

Clinical trials (CT) serve as the media that translates clinical research into standards of care. Low or slow recruitment leads to delays in delivery of new therapies to the public. Determination of eligibility in all patients is one of the most important factors to assure unbiased results from the clinical trials process and represents the first step in addressing the issue of under representation and equal access to clinical trials.

METHODS

This is a pilot project evaluating the efficiency, flexibility, and generalizibility of an automated clinical trials eligibility screening tool across 5 different clinical trials and clinical trial scenarios.

RESULTS

There was a substantial total savings during the study period in research staff time spent in evaluating patients for eligibility ranging from 165h to 1329h. There was a marked enhancement in efficiency with the automated system for all but one study in the pilot. The ratio of mean staff time required per eligible patient identified ranged from 0.8 to 19.4 for the manual versus the automated process.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study demonstrate that automation offers an opportunity to reduce the burden of the manual processes required for CT eligibility screening and to assure that all patients have an opportunity to be evaluated for participation in clinical trials as appropriate. The automated process greatly reduces the time spent on eligibility screening compared with the traditional manual process by effectively transferring the load of the eligibility assessment process to the computer.

A unified web-based query and notification system (QNS) for subject management, adverse events, regulatory, and IRB components of clinical trials

Even after intensive review, interpretative questions, ambiguities, contradictions, or errors, will arise once the protocol is scrutinized by site IRBs and implemented at sites. This will occur despite preparation and implementation of site protocol training, and provision of well crafted case report forms for the reporting of clinical and laboratory evaluations and adverse events. Since many staff are involved in each protocol, site investigators or study coordinators might direct protocol queries, participant management, or IRB queries to different network participants, resulting in inconsistent responses. It is important to establish a response mechanism that ensures consistent responses and their systematic documentation. For reporting of adverse events, and the submission of or documentation of completion of regulatory requirements, an easily accessible and structured communications system is also required. This paper describes the development and implementation of a user-friendly web-based query and notification system (QNS) for subject management, adverse events, regulatory, and IRB components. This system was created in the Adolescent Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN), using existing web based tools with minor modifications and minimal cost. The query and notification system is interactive and allows for free flow of information among the site coordinators and both the protocol teams and the regulatory group. The process of the system is transparent to users at the sites, although its use and maintenance is controlled by Data Operations Center staff, to assure that ATN requirements for review and approval are met. This results in consistency of and timeliness of responses to queries, timeliness and accuracy of adverse event reporting and the ability for the data operations center regulatory staff to provide notification of pending or delinquent regulatory submissions.

Using OncoDoc as a computer-based eligibility screening system to improve accrual onto breast cancer clinical trials

While clinical trials offer cancer patients the optimum treatment, historical accrual of such patients has not been very successful. OncoDoc is a decision support system designed to provide best therapeutic recommendations for breast cancer patients. Developed as a browsing tool of a knowledge base structured as a decision tree, OncoDoc allows physicians to control the contextual instantiation of patient characteristics to build the best formal equivalent of an actual patient. Used as a computer-based eligibility screening system, depending on whether instantiated patient parameters are matched against guideline knowledge or available clinical trial protocols, it provides either evidence-based therapeutic options or relevant patient-specific clinical trials. Implemented at the Gustave Roussy Institute and routinely used at the point of care during a 4-month period, it significantly improved physician compliance with guideline recommendations and enhanced physician awareness of open trials while increasing patient enrollment to clinical trials by 50%. But, when analyzing reasons of non-accrual of potentially eligible patients, it appeared that physicians' psychological reluctance to refer patients to clinical trials, measured during the experiment at 25%, may not be resolved by the simple dissemination of clinical trial information at the point of care.

Teledermatology in a capitated delivery system using distributed information architecture: design and development

OBJECTIVE

This report describes the design, development, and technical evaluation of a teledermatology system utilizing digital images and electronic forms captured through, stored on, and viewed through a common web server in an urban capitated delivery system.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The authors designed a system whereby a primary care physician was able to seek a dermatologic consultation electronically, provide the specialist with digital images acquired according to a standardized protocol, and review the specialist response within 2 business days of the request. The settings were two primary care practices in eastern Massachusetts that were affiliated with a large integrated delivery system. Technical evaluation of the effectiveness of the system involved 18 patients. Main outcome measures included physician and patient satisfaction and comfort and efficiency of care delivery.

RESULTS

In 15 cases, the consultant dermatologist was comfortable in providing definitive diagnosis and treatment recommendations. In 3 cases, additional information (laboratory studies or more history) was requested. There were no instances where the dermatologist felt that a face-to-face visit was necessary.

CONCLUSIONS

This novel approach shows promise for the delivery of specialist expertise via the internet. Cost-effectiveness studies may be necessary for more widespread implementation.

Design and implementation of a national clinical trials registry

The authors have developed a Web-based system that provides summary information about clinical trials being conducted throughout the United States. The first version of the system, publicly available in February 2000, contains more than 4,000 records representing primarily trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The impetus for this system has come from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act of 1997, which mandated a registry of both federally and privately funded clinical trials "of experimental treatments for serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions." The system design and implementation have been guided by several principles. First, all stages of system development were guided by the needs of the primary intended audience, patients and other members of the public. Second, broad agreement on a common set of data elements was obtained. Third, the system was designed in a modular and extensible way, and search methods that take extensive advantage of the National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) were developed. Finally, since this will be a long-term effort involving many individuals and organizations, the project is being implemented in several phases.

Pilot study of a point-of-use decision support tool for cancer clinical trials eligibility

Many adults with cancer are not enrolled in clinical trials because caregivers do not have the time to match the patient's clinical findings with varying eligibility criteria associated with multiple trials for which the patient might be eligible. The authors developed a point-of-use portable decision support tool (DS-TRIEL) to automate this matching process. The support tool consists of a hand-held computer with a programmable relational database. A two-level hierarchic decision framework was used for the identification of eligible subjects for two open breast cancer clinical trials. The hand-held computer also provides protocol consent forms and schemas to further help the busy oncologist. This decision support tool and the decision framework on which it is based could be used for multiple trials and different cancer sites.

The basis for using the Internet to support the information needs of primary care

Synthesizing the state of the art from the published literature, this review assesses the basis for employing the Internet to support the information needs of primary care. The authors survey what has been published about the information needs of clinical practice, including primary care, and discuss currently available information resources potentially relevant to primary care. Potential methods of linking information needs with appropriate information resources are described in the context of previous classifications of clinical information needs. Also described is the role that existing terminology mapping systems, such as the National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System, may play in representing and linking information needs to answers.