Use of the World Wide Web for multisite data collection

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Increasing internet accessibility facilitates novel research applications in medicine.
• Traditional multisite studies face challenges due to geographic separation.
• Effective communication channels are crucial for global research collaboration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the use of the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW) for communication in multisite medical research.
• To present a model for electronic data collection and management in distributed research settings.
• To explore the potential for real-time data analysis and trend identification.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing user-friendly electronic surveys for data entry.
• Transmitting data over the Internet to a central study database.
• Implementing existing database technologies for data storage and management.
• Discussing methods for ensuring data validity, security, and compliance.

Main Results:

• Geographic separation is less of a barrier to multisite studies.
• Electronic data format enables real-time statistical processing.
• Automated processing can lead to early identification of data trends.

Conclusions:

• The WWW serves as an effective communication channel for international medical research.
• Electronic data collection streamlines multisite study operations.
• Real-time data processing enhances the efficiency and insight generation of clinical research.