2003-12-09
Data entry in MACRO study enhanced even further by AREZZO technology
InferMed is working with a major pharmaceutical company on an exciting project to extend the use of its AREZZO clinical decision support technology in its EDC tool MACRO.
The project will evaluate the ability of best-practice guidelines, provided by AREZZO, to improve the effectiveness of clinical study participants' prescribing behaviours.
Clinicians from several hospitals across the UK and Europe will gather clinical data using web-based MACRO eForms. Each subject will be seen for a maximum of four visits. Using a cluster randomisation approach, half of the hospitals will be allocated to receive AREZZO decision support.
The decision support guideline has been created within the MACRO study using the AREZZO Composer. Based on the data entered into MACRO, clinicians from these hospitals will get subject-specific advice about what treatments should used. This advice will be based on the latest published European best-practice guidelines. The user will even have access to the original text of the guidelines. If the clinician chooses an option that is not recommended, MACRO will then request information about the variance. This information will be fed back to the guideline authors and it will help inform future versions of the best-practice guidelines.
Andrew Newbigging, Managing Director of InferMed said, “This project is a big step forward for MACRO, as it is the first time that full AREZZO decision support will be made available within the context of a MACRO study. We believe that similar guidelines could be included in other studies, for example, to support clinicians in managing adverse events consistently and effectively. Investigators currently have to consult protocol documents for such guidelines, but now the information can be made available at the time it is needed and even more importantly, the recommendations can be tailored to the individual subject.
