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ClinicalSurveys.net – a web-based research portal for rare infectious diseases
ClinicalSurveys.net – ein Webbasiertes Portal für seltene Infektionen
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Veröffentlicht: | 2. Juni 2010 |
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Gliederung
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Studying rare medical events is a difficult and tedious task. Obtaining the necessary funds for randomized multi-center trials is challenging. The same is true for the observation of other uncommon events, e.g. rare drug toxicities or drug efficacy against certain disease subtypes, e.g. rare infections. In this situation, clinical research often resorts to case registries or surveys. However, many investigators are lacking resources to setup a secure and efficient online survey on their own. Also, clinicians willing to contribute to clinical surveys may lack overview on what data are currently needed by whom. There is a need for a common platform bundling related topics to increase awareness for current research topics and create synergies between projects.
We have developed ClinicalSurveys.net to provide researchers and clinicians with a user-friendly online portal, allowing common access to a whole range of web-based trials and registries. ClinicalSurveys.net allows rapid and intuitive survey development with powerful features for design and data-control. The documenting user is provided with a simple, self-explaining documentation system accessible from virtually every browser on every available platform.
Currently, about 150 researchers from 5 continents have joined ClinicalSurveys.net. Fungiscope is the first survey conducted via the ClinicalSurveys.net platform, with researchers registering over 150 cases of rare invasive fungal infections, thus creating a network of experts from various specialties. spondHIVreg is a global registry created in cooperation by orthopedic surgery and ID specialists of the University Hospital of Cologne. The study explores risk factors and outcome of spondylitis in HIV patients. Regional surveys on the customary treatment uses of antifungal drugs (anidulafungin and micafungin) have followed. Surveys on meningitis in HIV patients and the influence of patient compliance on the outcome of renal transplantation are under development by different working groups.
ClinicalSurveys.net was created to answer pressing research needs. The service is provided to other academic researchers at cost price. None of the authors receive any financial gain from the site operation. We cordially invite ID research groups to conduct their case registries and other web-based trials using the ClinicalSurveys.net platform.