A suite of web applications to streamline the interdisciplinary collaboration in secondary data analyses

doi:10.1186/1471-2288-4-29

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Volume 4

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Pietrobon R
Guller U
Martins H
Menezes AP
Higgins LD
Jacobs DO

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Guller U
Martins H
Menezes AP
Higgins LD
Jacobs DO
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A suite of web applications to streamline the interdisciplinary collaboration in secondary data analyses

Ricardo Pietrobon¹ , Ulrich Guller² , Henrique Martins³ , Andreia P Menezes⁴ , Laurence D Higgins⁵ and Danny O Jacobs⁶

¹Center for Excellence in Surgical Outcomes, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

²Center for Excellence in Surgical Outcomes, University Hospital Basel, Department of General Surgery and Surgical Research, Basel, Switzerland

³Duke University Health System, Rio Claro/Sao Paulo, Brazil

⁴Reliable International Research, Center for Excellence in Surgical Outcomes, Campina Grande do Sul/ Parana – Brazil

⁵Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

⁶Department of Internal Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA

author email corresponding author email

BMC Medical Research Methodology 2004, 4:29doi:10.1186/1471-2288-4-29


Published:	14 December 2004

Abstract

Background

We describe a system of web applications designed to streamline the interdisciplinary collaboration in outcomes research.

Description

The outcomes research process can be described as a set of three interrelated phases: design and selection of data sources, analysis, and output. Each of these phases has inherent challenges that can be addressed by a group of five web applications developed by our group. QuestForm allows for the formulation of relevant and well-structured outcomes research questions; Research Manager facilitates the project management and electronic file exchange among researchers; Analysis Charts facilitate the communication of complex statistical techniques to clinicians with varying previous levels of statistical knowledge; Literature Matrices improve the efficiency of literature reviews. An outcomes research question is used to illustrate the use of the system.

Conclusions

The system presents an alternative to streamline the interdisciplinary collaboration of clinicians, statisticians, programmers, and graduate students.