Building a virtual cancer research organization.

摘要: Background: The Cancer Research Network (CRN) comprises the National Institute and 11 nonprofit research centers affiliated with integrated health care delivery systems. CRN, a public/private partnership, fosters multisite collaborative on cancer prevention, screening, treatment, survival, palliation in diverse populations. Methods: CRN's success hinges producing innovative that likely would not have been developed by scientists working individually, then translating those findings into clinical practice within multiple population laboratories. CRN is virtual organization characterized user-defined sharing among providers of data files as well direct access to researchers, computers, software, data, participants, other resources. management Web site high-functioning scientific community publishing standardized definitions, file specifications, computer programs support merging analyzing from Results: Seven major types date include demographics, plan eligibility, tumor registry, inpatient ambulatory utilization, medication dispensing, laboratory tests, imaging procedures; more will follow. Data standardization avoids rework, increases integrity, security, generates shorter times initial proposal concept submission, stimulates frequent collaborations across institutions. Conclusions: associated procedures represent quasi-public resource, stands ready collaborate researchers outside institutions developing conducting public domain research.