Academic Research Centers Join Forces to Improve Clinical Research

MADISON, Wis., March 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A collaborative group of academic research organizations is revolutionizing the way clinical research is conducted through their participation in the Research Resonance Network. The network's host, Forte Research Systems, Inc., has announced the availability of a new online home for the group along with a suite of tools for improving clinical research processes. Registration is now open to access the first resource to go live on the network, the Site Metrics Registry. This registry is the culmination of seven years of effort driven, in large part, by 20 leading academic medical centers including the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation and Indiana University Simon Cancer Center.

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There is a growing interest in improving the processes around clinical study execution. Most stakeholders in the drug development industry agree that the current environment is not sustainable. Similarly, the National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences have undertaken major efforts for process improvement as they seek avenues for speeding up the development of new therapies.

"A cursory glance at the current drug development landscape reveals ever-increasing unhealthy trends. Protocols are getting more complicated, study startup is labor intensive and inefficient, and centers face challenges in everything from compliance to financial viability," said Srini Kalluri, Forte's founder, president, CEO and Chief Customer Officer. "By allowing centers to share, compare, and take action based on their data, the Research Resonance Network helps centers work together to find better solutions."

The desire for improvement is evident in such initiatives as TransCelerate BioPharma, Inc., the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI), and the Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES), all of which strive to bring key stakeholders together to find ways to improve clinical research.

Under the leadership provided by the participating centers, the Research Resonance Network Site Metrics Registry, hosted at www.ResearchResonance.net, is already delivering value with its library of standard data definitions for a large number of performance measurements, also referred to as "metrics." The registry contains metrics for: evaluating cycle times in such areas as IRB approval and contracting; measuring the size of clinical research operations in such areas as the number of open protocols and new subject accruals; and measuring effort in areas that include data management and budgeting.

"We've taken the initiative to work with Forte on this effort because we believe it's an invaluable tool for academic medical centers and Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) sites. Knowing how our peer institutions are doing helps us to improve our own clinical research processes and timelines," said Robert Sherwin, MD, CNH, Long Professor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and director of the Yale Center of Clinical Investigation. 

Using sophisticated security mechanisms, the registry allows centers to contribute their data and then compare their own performance to anonymous data aggregated from their peers. Forte acts as the trusted third party ensuring that the privacy of all participants is protected and nothing is ever shared with unauthorized individuals or in any way that allows the participating centers to be identified.

"Being able to benefit from the knowledge gained at comparable institutions will be an asset to our entire research enterprise at Yale and to the Yale Cancer Center," said Thomas J. Lynch, MD, director of the Yale Cancer Center. "The ability to access data anytime we need it and compare our institution to other cancer centers, CTSA sites, or academic medical centers is a great way to establish our own goals and will be a necessity if we want to better our performance."

With a strong belief that clinical research operational excellence begins with the sites, Forte offers this service free of charge for all academic research centers. In order to participate, centers need to enter into a data sharing agreement and contribute their metrics. Then, they will be able to access the portal and compare their performance with that of their peers. For centers using Forte's OnCore eClinical system, there is a direct interface available to share their metrics. For organizations who use other systems, Forte provides a standard spreadsheet template into which data can be exported and then uploaded into the Research Resonance Network portal.

Pre-registration for the Research Resonance Network is now open. Live data will be available to participants beginning in April, 2013. Interested centers can register at www.ResearchResonance.com or contact Forte Research Systems for more information at [email protected].

About Forte Research Systems

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, Forte Research Systems, Inc. develops and markets clinical and translational research management software for better compliance, safety, and financial viability.  The company's flagship product, the OnCore^® eClinical solution, has been meeting the needs of academic medical centers, CTSAs, research hospitals, and cancer centers for over a decade. To facilitate networking, advocacy, and learning opportunities for the OnCore user community, Forte also hosts the Onsemble community. For Research Sites, Site Networks, and SMOs, Forte offers Allegro^® CTMS. Forte is host to the Clinical Research Blog and other resources for individuals interested in excellence in clinical research operations.

SOURCE Forte Research Systems