Integration of Slack, a cloud-based team collaboration application, into research coordination.

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Medical Informatics
• Team Collaboration Technology

Background:

• Effective study management in epidemiology necessitates real-time communication and document access.
• Traditional communication methods can be inefficient for research teams.
• Protected Health Information (PHI) is often not involved in logistical communications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot and evaluate the integration of Slack, a team collaboration application, into an academic research team's workflow.
• To assess the impact of Slack on communication efficiency and document management.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving the integration of Slack into a research team comprising faculty, a research coordinator, and research assistants.
• Quantitative analysis of Slack usage statistics over twelve months.
• Qualitative feedback through a survey of research assistants.

Main Results:

• Slack demonstrated heavy usage by both research professionals and assistants, with over 10,600 messages exchanged.
• Research staff uploaded 82% of the 106 files stored on the platform.
• A January 2016 survey revealed 100% of research assistants agreed or strongly agreed that Slack improved team communication.

Conclusions:

• Slack can be effectively integrated into the workflow of academic research teams.
• The application serves as a highly effective tool for enhancing communication and document management in research settings.
• This model demonstrates a successful integration of communication technology in academic research activities.