Bridging the gap between the randomised clinical trial world and the real world by combination of population-based registry and electronic health record data: A case study in haemato-oncology

Eur J Cancer. 2017 Nov:86:178-185. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2017.09.007. Epub 2017 Oct 6.

Abstract

Randomised clinical trials (RCTs) are considered the basis of evidence-based medicine. It is recognised more and more that application of RCT results in daily practice of clinical decision-making is limited because the RCT world does not correspond with the clinical real world. Recent strategies aiming at substitution of RCT databases by improved population-based registries (PBRs) or by improved electronic health record (EHR) systems to provide significant data for clinical science are discussed. A novel approach exemplified by the HemoBase haemato-oncology project is presented. In this approach, a PBR is combined with an advanced EHR, providing high-quality data for observational studies and support of best practice development. This PBR + EHR approach opens a perspective on randomised registry trials.

Keywords: Electronic health record; Evidence-based medicine; Haematology; Oncology; Population-based registry; Randomised clinical trial.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Data Collection
  • Data Mining / methods*
  • Electronic Health Records*
  • Evidence-Based Medicine / methods*
  • Hematology / methods*
  • Humans
  • Medical Oncology / methods*
  • Medical Record Linkage
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / methods*
  • Registries*