Ensuring accurate trial data doesn't stop at data collection

Posted on Jun 26, 2009

In Survey Says: Get the Data Right from Applied Clinical Trials, Mark Kosinski at QualityMetric Incorporated describes tools available to ensure that surveys are administered correctly to eliminate errors and collect accurate data for clinical trials. I agree that it is imperative to prevent data collection errors early, before they can have a substantial impact on study timelines and cost.
 
But the author did not go far enough. His focus was solely on questionnaires, but this same approach should be applied to every aspect of a clinical trial. The ability to identify and resolve issues quickly and take steps to prevent them from occurring again can improve everything from enrollment to query rates. This is the fundamental concept of adaptive operations, which should be used on every trial that is in progress today.

- Mike Ford, director of data management