title: 'Cloud computing' and clinical trials: report from an ECRIN workshop.
abstract: Growing use of cloud computing in clinical trials prompted the European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network, a European non-profit organisation established to support multinational clinical research, to organise a one-day workshop on the topic to clarify potential benefits and risks. The issues that arose in that workshop are summarised and include the following: the nature of cloud computing and the cloud computing industry; the risks in using cloud computing services now; the lack of explicit guidance on this subject, both generally and with reference to clinical trials; and some possible ways of reducing risks. There was particular interest in developing and using a European 'community cloud' specifically for academic clinical trial data. It was recognised that the day-long workshop was only the start of an ongoing process. Future discussion needs to include clarification of trial-specific regulatory requirements for cloud computing and involve representatives from the relevant regulatory bodies.
authors.affiliation: European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN), BioPark, 5-7 rue Watt, 75013, Paris, France. christian.ohmann@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.|European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN), Prinz-Georg-Str. 51, 40477, Düsseldorf, Germany. christian.ohmann@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohmann
authors.affiliation: European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN), BioPark, 5-7 rue Watt, 75013, Paris, France. steve@canhamis.eu.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Canham
authors.affiliation: Danielyan Consulting Ltd. Turnbull House, 226 Mulgrave Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 6JT, UK. edd@danielyan.com.
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Danielyan
authors.affiliation: xKavate Knowledge Mining Ltd., Fryern House, 125 Winchester Road, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, SO53 2DR, UK. robertshaw.steve@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robertshaw
authors.affiliation: European Grid Initiative (EGI), Science Park 140, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. yannick.legre@egi.eu.
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Legré
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Recherche Farmacologische Mario Negri, Via La Mass 19, 20156, Milano, Italy. luca.clivio@mailbase.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clivio
authors.affiliation: European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN), BioPark, 5-7 rue Watt, 75013, Paris, France. jacques.demotes@ecrin.org.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Demotes
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D000067917:Cloud Computing / Q000592:standards; D016494:Computer Security; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D018570:Risk Assessment