Clinical & Translational Research Centers Portal Page: A Web-based Solution to Centralizing Services
Joyce, B. Zelnis ; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine;
Content:
The University of Pittsburgh Clinical & Translational Science Institute CTRC (Clinical & Translational Research Centers) Main Portal Page is the centralized point of access for CTRC personnel to various CTRC tools, as well as the entry point for requesting CTRC services by Primary Investigators and their staff. Useful online resource links have been provided as well as information that is important for completion of the CTRC Service Request Form.
Technology:
To provide a user friendly interface, ease of navigation and consistent user interfaces were important components of the software development. The web-based CTRC Portal Pages are ColdFusion/HTML and JavaScript. The Service Request Form is a ColdFusion application that reads and writes to an Oracle database.
Design:
The CTRC Portal Page was designed with multiple functions in mind. Members of the CTRC enter the portal to access their site-specific software tools which include; scheduling systems, protocol management systems, and visit tracking software. Additional design elements included providing the CTRC customers access to an online form that prompts them for all of the information necessary to request services from the CTRC. The CTRC Annual Reporting requirements were instrumental in the design of the Service Request Form.
Results:
The CTRC Portal Page had over ninety users in its first six months of operation. Investigators and their staff submitted the information necessary for over seventy Service Requests Forms to the CTRC. A submitted Service Request Form generates a .PDF file that is included in the submission to the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board (IRB) online submission process; also know as OSIRIS. Initial user feedback has been positive, with user-suggested enhancements scheduled to be implemented in the coming months.
Conclusion:
The CTRC Portal Page has provided a centralized location for CTRC activities. CTRC customers and personnel alike go to this location for software applications, information, and service requests. As the protocols get scheduled at the CTRC the information entered by the CTRC customers will be updated into the appropriate software taking the entered protocol data from requested services thru patient visit.
