Utility of an automated notification system for recruitment of research subjects

Background Experience with a novel method of notifying investigators about research subjects in a university-based emergency department (ED) is reported. Methods An automated paging system was linked to the electronic medical record to identify inclusion criteria and notify investigators at the time of ED triage. The rate of study enrolment 2 months before and after implementation of the automated system was compared and the time from triage completion to investigator notification was assessed. Results During the first 2-month period, 1/17 eligible patients were identified by staff. During the second 2-month period, 1/7 eligible patients were identified by staff while the automated paging system recognised 7/7 eligible patients, an absolute increase of 94.5%. The median time from completion of triage to automated notification of investigators was 0 min. Conclusion Automated paging using the electronic medical record has the potential to improve enrolment in clinical research studies by improving the speed and sensitivity of identifying eligible subjects