title: Use of the World Wide Web for multisite data collection.
abstract: As access to the Internet becomes increasingly available, research applications in medicine will increase. This paper describes the use of the Internet, and, more specifically, the World Wide Web (WWW), as a channel of communication between EDs throughout the world and investigators who are interested in facilitating the collection of data from multiple sites. Data entered into user-friendly electronic surveys can be transmitted over the Internet to a database located at the site of the study, rendering geographic separation less of a barrier to the conduction of multisite studies. The electronic format of the data can enable real-time statistical processing while data are stored using existing database technologies. In theory, automated processing of variables within such a database enables early identification of data trends. Methods of ensuring validity, security, and compliance are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Detroit Receiving Hospital, MI, USA.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: McAfee
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Getzinger
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003625:Data Collection; D004635:Emergency Medicine; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D012106:Research