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. 2011 Oct;105(10):1501-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2011.04.012. Epub 2011 May 14.

The accuracy and efficiency of electronic screening for recruitment into a clinical trial on COPD

Christopher N Schmickl  1 , Man Li, Guangxi Li, Marnie M Wetzstein, Vitaly Herasevich, Ognjen Gajic, Roberto P Benzo
Affiliations

The accuracy and efficiency of electronic screening for recruitment into a clinical trial on COPD

Christopher N Schmickl et al. Respir Med. 2011 Oct.

Abstract

Participant recruitment is an important process in successful conduct of randomized controlled trials. To facilitate enrollment into a National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical trial involving patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we developed and prospectively validated an automated electronic screening tool based on boolean free-text search of admission notes in electronic medical records. During a 2-week validation period, all patients admitted to prespecified general medical services were screened for eligibility by both the electronic screening tool and a COPD nurse. Group discussion was the gold standard for confirmation of true-positive results. Compared with the gold standard, electronic screening yielded 100% sensitivity, 92% specificity, 100% negative predictive value, and 72% positive predictive value. Compared with traditional manual screening, electronic screening demonstrated time-saving potential of 76%. Thus, the electronic screening tool accurately identifies potential study subjects and improves efficiency of patient accrual for a clinical trial on COPD. This method may be expanded into other institutional and clinical settings.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Workflow of E-screening Tool during Validation Period.
Figure 2
Figure 2
E-screening and Manual Review in Comparison to Gold Standard.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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