FEASIBILITY OF KEYING DATA FROM SCREEN-DISPLAYED FACSIMILE IMAGES IN AN ONGOING TRIAL - THE COLLABORATIVE OCULAR MELANOMA STUDY

As part of an ongoing clinical trial, we conducted an experiment to as sess the feasibility and to determine the reliability of data entry fr om a computer screen display of images of data collection forms transm itted by facsimile (fax) machines directly into a computer for paper f orms designed without consideration of fax or image display requiremen ts. Feasibility was assessed on the basis of accuracy and reliability of data entry and on operator satisfaction. During a 2-week period, ha lf of the forms received at the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (C OMS) coordinating center were key-entered twice, using the paper forms as the source (paper source entry). The remaining forms were entered once using paper source and were later reentered using the screen disp lay of images of the fared forms as the source (image source entry). T he latter group of forms, or 50% of all forms received, were entered a third time, using the image source entry. Two data entry operators pa rticipated in the experiment. Discrepancy rates between and within dat a entry operators were calculated for both modes of entry. A total of 50,861 keystrokes (28,095 items) across 1122 records were checked for consistency. The overall discrepancy rate associated with double paper source entry was approximately 21 per 10,000 keystrokes (20 per 10,00 0 items). Discrepancy rates associated with paper source versus image source entry (53 per 10,000 keystrokes [57 per 10,000 items]) and doub le image source entry (57 per 10,000 keystrokes [47 per 10,000 items]) were similar in magnitude. Image source entry of forms received by fa csimile may provide an acceptable alternative to paper entry in ongoin g multicenter clinical trials where the costs of converting existing f orms and systems to automated data capture may be unacceptable. This e xperiment confirmed the feasibility of such an alternative and suggest ed that improved screen displays and changes in equipment to facilitat e entry of data from the screen display may enhance accuracy of entrie s. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1998.