Internal challenge to clinical trial project management: strategies for managing investigator compliance

Improving data quality in observational research studies: Report of the Cure Glomerulonephropathy (CureGN) network

Background

High data quality is of crucial importance to the integrity of research projects. In the conduct of multi-center observational cohort studies with increasing types and quantities of data, maintaining data quality is challenging, with few published guidelines.

Methods

The Cure Glomerulonephropathy (CureGN) Network has established numerous quality control procedures to manage the 70 participating sites in the United States, Canada, and Europe. This effort is supported and guided by the activities of several committees, including Data Quality, Recruitment and Retention, and Central Review, that work in tandem with the Data Coordinating Center to monitor the study. We have implemented coordinator training and feedback channels, data queries of questionable or missing data, and developed performance metrics for recruitment, retention, visit completion, data entry, recording of patient-reported outcomes, collection, shipping and accessing of biological samples and pathology materials, and processing, cataloging and accessing genetic data and materials.

Results

We describe the development of data queries and site Report Cards, and their use in monitoring and encouraging excellence in site performance. We demonstrate improvements in data quality and completeness over 4 years after implementing these activities. We describe quality initiatives addressing specific challenges in collecting and cataloging whole slide images and other kidney pathology data, and novel methods of data quality assessment.

Conclusions

This paper reports the CureGN experience in optimizing data quality and underscores the importance of general and study-specific data quality initiatives to maintain excellence in the research measures of a multi-center observational study.

CUPID: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial to identify characteristics of similar Chinese patent medicines

INTRODUCTION

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has accumulated some experience in curing stable angina pectoris (SAP) and efficacy has been demonstrated. Chinese patent medicines, known as modern dosage forms of TCM, can attain the desired effect in clinical application only with the guidance of TCM syndrome theory. However, due to their use by a large number of persons with little knowledge of TCM theories and practices, their efficacy and reputation have been seriously affected.

METHOD AND ANALYSIS

Two common syndrome types of SAP in TCM, 'qi deficiency and blood stasis' and 'qi stagnation and blood stasis', will be studied in 144 subjects from four TCM hospitals in Tianjin in China using a partial crossover design. The two syndromes will be broken down into six symptom combinations; patients will select a combination of the most distressing to them, and then will be randomised into two groups. Each group, on the basis of routine medication, will be administered one kind of Chinese patent drug: Qishenyiqi Dripping Pills or Compound Danshen Dripping Pills. The treatment characteristics of the two medicines will be evaluated with the COME-PIO method developed by our research team.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol has been approved by the medical ethics committee of Tianjin University of TCM (registration number TJUTCM-EC20130005). The study is safe and reliable.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Chinese clinical trials register ChiCTR-TTRCC-14004406.