By Ann Neuer
March 24, 2008 | ClinPhone recently launched a combined EDC-IVR/IWR solution to bring much-needed efficiency to the process of data collection and management. “When electronic data capture (EDC) and interactive voice response (IVR) or Web response (IWR) systems are not linked together, you are asking sites or clinical research associates (CRAs) to enter data twice. This is painful from the work point of view,” says Bill Byrom, VP of product strategy and marketing.
When data are entered into two different systems, invariably, there are issues around data reconciliation, and much time is wasted determining which system houses the correct information. Byrom explains, “Before integration, we used to spend a lot of time with clients cleaning and reconciling data at the end of the study when things weren’t matching up among various datasets.”
Data are entered only once with the new combined solution, which is an integration of
DataLabs—Clinphone’s EDC solution—with its Randomization, Trial Supply Management, and electronic patient reported outcomes (IVR/IWR) products.This latest entry is a continuation of ClinPhone’s commitment to the integration process. Over the past few years, the company has built a solid track record of integrating its products with those from other vendors. According to Byrom, ClinPhone has performed 160 integrations, half of which have been between its IVR solution and various EDC systems, mostly Phase Forward’s and Medidata Solutions’, but also with in-house systems developed by pharmaceutical sponsors. The other integrations have been of multiple solutions with TrialWorks—ClinPhone’s clinical trial management system (CTMS) solution—and between other ClinPhone products and IMPACT, by Perceptive Informatics.
The core of the integration is Connect, a middleware clinical technology integration platform. David Stein, VP of product management, says, “The middleware becomes a hub so that every system we want to link together connects to it. The hub routes data points to and from the various applications.” Stein says the advantage of this approach is that when an application is upgraded, only the ClinPhone connector to that application needs to be updated instead of having to update the whole integration. And as the company builds its repertoire of connectors, the integrations become easier and the process becomes more repeatable.
While ClinPhone encourages connections with third-party solutions and anticipates ongoing client demand for flexibility in terms of integrating its solutions with external sources, the company sees distinct advantages in maintaining a combined EDC-IVR/IWR solution under one roof.
“There is greater simplicity when clients are working with one vendor because we can see both the IVR and EDC databases and the middleware between,” says Byrom. This is in contrast to tough challenges that can emerge when a systems integration is between two different companies, and neither company can see all of the parts in the process. Byrom refers to cases in which software systems have been upgraded but an integration failed because one vendor could not see beyond the other vendor’s firewall. “It can takes weeks to work out these situations in terms of technology and in terms of which vendor is responsible for fixing it,” he says.
When the EDC-IVR/IWR integration is all in-house, ClinPhone offers a single project manager to look after the building of both those pieces of technology, with responsibility for implementation and timeline. In addition, the company has a 24/7 help desk with staff trained in answering questions about the integrated solution.