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Simplifying Electronic Data Capture in Clinical Trials: Workflow Embedded Image and Biosignal File Integration and Analysis via Web Services

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Abstract

To improve data quality and save cost, clinical trials are nowadays performed using electronic data capture systems (EDCS) providing electronic case report forms (eCRF) instead of paper-based CRFs. However, such EDCS are insufficiently integrated into the medical workflow and lack in interfacing with other study-related systems. In addition, most EDCS are unable to handle image and biosignal data, although electrocardiography (EGC, as example for one-dimensional (1D) data), ultrasound (2D data), or magnetic resonance imaging (3D data) have been established as surrogate endpoints in clinical trials. In this paper, an integrated workflow based on OpenClinica, one of the world’s largest EDCS, is presented. Our approach consists of three components for (i) sharing of study metadata, (ii) integration of large volume data into eCRFs, and (iii) automatic image and biosignal analysis. In all components, metadata is transferred between systems using web services and JavaScript, and binary large objects (BLOBs) are sent via the secure file transfer protocol and hypertext transfer protocol. We applied the close-looped workflow in a multicenter study, where long term (7 days/24 h) Holter ECG monitoring is acquired on subjects with diabetes. Study metadata is automatically transferred into OpenClinica, the 4 GB BLOBs are seamlessly integrated into the eCRF, automatically processed, and the results of signal analysis are written back into the eCRF immediately.

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Notes

  1. https://wiki.openclinica.com/doku.php?id=publicwiki:otherprojects

  2. https://wiki.nci.nih.gov/display/Suite/OpenClinica+Integration+Toolkit+Summary

  3. http://cbiit.nci.nih.gov/ncip/about-ncip

  4. http://code.google.com/p/imagedc/

  5. http://www.hibernate.org/

  6. https://github.com/emsouza/gilead

  7. https://www.jaspersoft.com/

  8. http://www.cdisc.org/odm

  9. Brazil, Russia, India, and China

  10. Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey, and Argentina

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Acknowledgments

This research was partly supported by European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD 74550-94555).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Informatics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52057, Aachen, Germany

    Daniel Haak, Johan Gehlen, Stephan Jonas & Thomas M. Deserno

  2. Information Systems, RWTH Aachen University, Ahornstr. 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany

    Christian Samsel

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  1. Daniel Haak
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  2. Christian Samsel
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  3. Johan Gehlen
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  4. Stephan Jonas
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  5. Thomas M. Deserno
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Correspondence to Daniel Haak.

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Haak, D., Samsel, C., Gehlen, J. et al. Simplifying Electronic Data Capture in Clinical Trials: Workflow Embedded Image and Biosignal File Integration and Analysis via Web Services. J Digit Imaging 27, 571–580 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-014-9694-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-014-9694-z

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