Siemens Pilot Study Demonstrates EMR to EDC Data Transfer

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich and Siemens Medical Solutions have developed a method of electronically transferring clinical data gathered at the point of care for use in prospective clinical trials. Through this process, clinical trial research results can be documented more efficiently, saving both time and money.
The capture of clinical trial data has previously been labor intensive and error-prone, requiring data to be transcribed into a paper case report form or, more recently, entered manually into Internet-based data capture systems. This solution offers a scalable, automatic transfer of data between an EMR and an EDC system, overcoming interoperability challenges associated with systems that operate on different technical standards and work within distinct business environments. Enabling immediate data transfer, the solution is being tested in a pilot study that was initiated in June 2006.