How I do it: a practical database management system to assist clinical research teams with data collection, organization, and reporting

Acad Radiol. 2015 Apr;22(4):527-33. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2014.12.002. Epub 2015 Jan 29.

Abstract

Rationale and objectives: The objective of this study was to demonstrate that an intra-arterial liver therapy clinical research database system is a more workflow efficient and robust tool for clinical research than a spreadsheet storage system. The database system could be used to generate clinical research study populations easily with custom search and retrieval criteria.

Materials and methods: A questionnaire was designed and distributed to 21 board-certified radiologists to assess current data storage problems and clinician reception to a database management system. Based on the questionnaire findings, a customized database and user interface system were created to perform automatic calculations of clinical scores including staging systems such as the Child-Pugh and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer, and facilitates data input and output.

Results: Questionnaire participants were favorable to a database system. The interface retrieved study-relevant data accurately and effectively. The database effectively produced easy-to-read study-specific patient populations with custom-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Conclusions: The database management system is workflow efficient and robust in retrieving, storing, and analyzing data.

Keywords: Database; graphical user interface; organization; query; statistical analysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Technical Report

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomedical Research / methods*
  • Biomedical Research / statistics & numerical data
  • Data Collection / methods*
  • Data Collection / statistics & numerical data
  • Database Management Systems / statistics & numerical data*
  • Databases, Factual / statistics & numerical data
  • Health Information Exchange / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Information Storage and Retrieval / methods*
  • Information Storage and Retrieval / statistics & numerical data
  • Liver Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • Radiology / statistics & numerical data*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • User-Computer Interface