SCDM Webinar Addresses Trend Toward EHR, EDC

MILWAUKEE-According to the Society for Clinical Data Management (SCDM), trends toward electronic health records and other healthcare technology will affect nearly every aspect of clinical trials, including how clinical data managers receive and interpret data in the future.

With this shift in mind, SCDM recently hosted a webinar “Trends Shaping Clinical Data Management” to address expected changes and challenges to the industry.

President Obama has put an emphasis on expanding use of electronic health records and improving health technology, including a $19 billion commitment in the recent economic stimulus package, making this topic timelier than ever.

“I think it’s an incredibly auspicious moment to be talking about the electronic health record in the context of the clinical trial because the EHR…is really ready to play a significant role in clinical research,” said Mark Uehling, editor of Clinpage and an expert presenter for the SCDM webinar. “(The stimulus package is the beginning of) a significant federal push that we are going to see to help people train and learn how to use these technologies and develop them and integrate them.”

The webinar also featured insights from Stephen P. Schwartz, PhD, senior vice president of corporate business development at Allscripts, and Anthony Costello, a former chair of SCDM.

Learn more: The complete two-part webinar, including the question-and-answer session, is now available for purchase online at www.scdm.org. SCDM is authorized by IACET to offer .2 CEU credits for this program.

SCDM has eight webinar series remaining in 2009 on topics including:

Data management and oncology trials
Emerging and established standards
Database validation and surviving an audit

For a complete schedule of upcoming webinars, please visit the SCDM Web site, www.scdm.org.

The Society for Clinical Data Management is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to promoting excellence in clinical data management through professional development, education and certification. Established in 1994, SCDM has more than 2,600 members with an interest in advancing data management practices. Additional information is available at www.scdm.org.