Multinational Clinical Trials vs Mother Nature
Posted on Mon, May 17, 2010 @ 01:06 PM
Avoiding the Volcano: Multinational Clinical Trials vs. Mother Nature
Colin G. Miller, PhD FICR CSci
We all know someone who has been impacted recently by the ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland.
Source[01]: Wikipedia, photographer: Henrik Thornburn
Airlines grounded and people stranded are common news stories. Again today Mother Nature made headlines (here's the latest from Reuters[02] ) with reports of more flights grounded in Europe. There appears to be no end in sight as the volcanic ash continues to spew out and be carried by prevailing winds to almost any European country. What has been less widely reported is the disruption to businesses and, in particular, the impact on multinational clinical trials that rely on courier services to send lab samples or images to central facilities. Beyond a certain point laboratory samples deteriorate or degrade to the point they are useless.
Since imaging data is either stored electronically or can be converted into an electronic format, one way to avoid the volcano is to securely transmit images over the internet and in the process avoid the need for costly and potentially unreliable couriers.
An example of a technology that we use to send images over the Internet is WebSend. It allows the real-time tracking of images from investigator sites and permits us to share, blind, archive and store the image in a manner compliant with regulations such as HIPAA and 21 CFR part 11.
Now that high speed Internet is available in most parts of the world, perhaps the days of expensive courier services are numbered.
This is very relevant for me today as I am planning to fly to Amsterdam this evening. I'll give you an update on whether I make it out. If you are interested you can see the latest forecasted maps[03] by the UK meteorological "Met" office.
Have any stories to share about how the volcano has affected your clinical trial? I invite you to share them with me.
Sources:
[01] - Thorburn, H (2010). Eruption at Fimmvörðuháls at dusk. Retrieved May 17, 2010 from Wikipedia Web Site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fimmvorduhals_2010_03_27_dawn.jpg
[02] - Ambrogi, S (2010). Volcanic ash grounds 1,000 European flights. Retrieved May 17, 2010 from Reuters Web Site:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64G3E820100517
[03] - Volcanic Ash Advisory from London - Issued graphics. Retrieved May 17, 2010 from Met Office Web Site:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/vaacuk_vag.html