More clinical trials use computer records

OTTAWA, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Canadian health officials found 41 percent of clinical trials have moved away from managing trial data using only paper records.

Study leader Dr. Khaled El Emam, the Canada research chairman in electronic health information at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, evaluated the use of technology in Canadian clinical trials.

From 2006-2007 there were approximately 950 clinical trials registered with sites in Canada -- about half funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Industry funded trials were more likely to use electronic data capture tools.

There was no difference between pediatric and adult trials in terms of the use of electronic data capture but pediatric trials used more sophisticated electronic data capture systems.

Electronic data capture tools allow researchers to complete a trial in less time and with fewer errors than if they were using the old paper method to capture and process data manually before entering it into a computer, the researchers said.

"The adoption of technology to collect and manage data in clinical trials is increasing, but mostly for industry funded trials," El Emam said in a statement. "Should academic trials continue to move in that direction, they are expected to gain efficiency and quality benefits."

The findings are published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.