A novel interactive electronic protocol review system

This report describes a new protocol review system which was designed as a Lotus Notes database. This system encompasses all elements of investigator protocol generation, review and approval by the laboratory animal veterinarian and institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC), and notification of approval to personnel responsible for animal ordering. Unique features of the system are interactive dialog between IACUC members and the investigator and confidential protocol discussion among IACUC members. The advantages of the system are multiple: 1. it allows for interactive protocol discussion online; 2. it is an essentially paperless process; 3. inclusion of the outside IACUC member is easily accomplished by using an offsite personal computer and secure remote local-area network access; 4. the time required for protocol generation, review, and approval is streamlined due to the automatic features of the database and the speed of e-mail; and 5. all documentation relating to the protocol and the approval process is archived online.