A clinical trials database as a research tool in health care.
OBJECTIVE
The rapid, efficient, and accurate communication of clinical research findings to both clinicians and researchers is essential to the process of improving medical care. This information should be conveyed in a form that facilitates the interpretation of the complete body of research on a specific condition. Unfortunately, the prevailing system for dissemination of clinical research fails to meet these criteria. This paper proposes a system for cataloging clinical trials and communicating their results in a comprehensive and comprehensible format.


METHODS
The system involves the use of a hierarchical matrix structure that allows for the selection and evaluation of related groups of clinical trials. The format of the data is tailored to the requirements of metaanalysis.


RESULTS
An example is presented using the treatment of acute Crohn's disease and including a sample metaanalysis of immunosuppressive therapy for this condition.


CONCLUSIONS
The hierarchical matrix structure in conjunction with a comprehensive database of clinical trials holds the potential to facilitate access to and interpretation of clinical research.
Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115.
R D
RD
Morris
J
J
Lau
N J
NJ
Arena
F E
FE
Nardine
T C
TC
Chalmers
D000208:Acute Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000628:therapy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007255:Information Services; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic