Susanna Yedro , Elena Tinari , Daniele Napolitano , Giulia Wlderk , Eleonora Ribaudi , Luciana Giannone , Gianluca Ianiro , Mattia Bozzetti , Antonio Gasbarrini , Vincenzina Mora
{"title":"DISYNCRO:临床研究协调员和数据管理人员的感知角色:来自合同研究组织专业人员的网络调查结果","authors":"Susanna Yedro , Elena Tinari , Daniele Napolitano , Giulia Wlderk , Eleonora Ribaudi , Luciana Giannone , Gianluca Ianiro , Mattia Bozzetti , Antonio Gasbarrini , Vincenzina Mora","doi":"10.1016/j.conctc.2025.101533","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The evolution of clinical trials has made it essential to introduce specific roles, such as Clinical Study Coordinator (CSC) and Data Manager (DM), into the research process. Their responsibilities sometimes overlap, creating operational challenges in the workplace. This study aims to determine how personnel at Contract Research Organizations (CROs) perceive the differences between the CSC and DM roles, assess their functional overlap, and identify areas where greater role clarity and training are needed to improve operational efficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>An online survey instrument was used to gather data from CRO professionals through an internet-based questionnaire. The survey gathered sociodemographic data and included a knowledge assessment of 18 items and a 9-item role responsibilities section. Participants were stratified into three ability groups using Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis based on a Rasch model. McNemar's tests and non-parametric tests analyzed knowledge discrepancies and perceptual contradictions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 122 participants completed the survey. Most partecipants (98.4 %) identified the CSC as the primary figure within a research center, and 77.9 % considered the CSC essential for clinical trial execution. Regarding functional overlap, 57.4 % of respondents believed that the CSC could perform the duties of a DM, whereas only 42.6 % thought the DM could assume the CSC's responsibilities. Participants with lower levels of knowledge demonstrated a higher rate of contradictory responses, indicating greater difficulty distinguishing between the two roles.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Study findings demonstrate an overwhelming preference for CSCs, who play a key versatile role in managing clinical trials. The insufficient theoretical understanding of the different duties of CSCs and DMs hampers operational efficiency. Establishing standard training programs combined with harmonization is essential to defining roles, enhancing teamwork, and providing quality clinical research practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37937,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 101533"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"DISYNCRO: Perceived roles of clinical study coordinators and data managers: results from a web-based survey of professionals from contract research organizations\",\"authors\":\"Susanna Yedro , Elena Tinari , Daniele Napolitano , Giulia Wlderk , Eleonora Ribaudi , Luciana Giannone , Gianluca Ianiro , Mattia Bozzetti , Antonio Gasbarrini , Vincenzina Mora\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.conctc.2025.101533\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The evolution of clinical trials has made it essential to introduce specific roles, such as Clinical Study Coordinator (CSC) and Data Manager (DM), into the research process. Their responsibilities sometimes overlap, creating operational challenges in the workplace. This study aims to determine how personnel at Contract Research Organizations (CROs) perceive the differences between the CSC and DM roles, assess their functional overlap, and identify areas where greater role clarity and training are needed to improve operational efficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>An online survey instrument was used to gather data from CRO professionals through an internet-based questionnaire. The survey gathered sociodemographic data and included a knowledge assessment of 18 items and a 9-item role responsibilities section. Participants were stratified into three ability groups using Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis based on a Rasch model. McNemar's tests and non-parametric tests analyzed knowledge discrepancies and perceptual contradictions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 122 participants completed the survey. Most partecipants (98.4 %) identified the CSC as the primary figure within a research center, and 77.9 % considered the CSC essential for clinical trial execution. Regarding functional overlap, 57.4 % of respondents believed that the CSC could perform the duties of a DM, whereas only 42.6 % thought the DM could assume the CSC's responsibilities. Participants with lower levels of knowledge demonstrated a higher rate of contradictory responses, indicating greater difficulty distinguishing between the two roles.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Study findings demonstrate an overwhelming preference for CSCs, who play a key versatile role in managing clinical trials. The insufficient theoretical understanding of the different duties of CSCs and DMs hampers operational efficiency. Establishing standard training programs combined with harmonization is essential to defining roles, enhancing teamwork, and providing quality clinical research practices.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":37937,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications\",\"volume\":\"47 \",\"pages\":\"Article 101533\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":1.4000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-08-07\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"1085\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451865425001073\",\"RegionNum\":0,\"RegionCategory\":null,\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q4\",\"JCRName\":\"MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451865425001073","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
DISYNCRO: Perceived roles of clinical study coordinators and data managers: results from a web-based survey of professionals from contract research organizations
Introduction
The evolution of clinical trials has made it essential to introduce specific roles, such as Clinical Study Coordinator (CSC) and Data Manager (DM), into the research process. Their responsibilities sometimes overlap, creating operational challenges in the workplace. This study aims to determine how personnel at Contract Research Organizations (CROs) perceive the differences between the CSC and DM roles, assess their functional overlap, and identify areas where greater role clarity and training are needed to improve operational efficiency.
Methods
An online survey instrument was used to gather data from CRO professionals through an internet-based questionnaire. The survey gathered sociodemographic data and included a knowledge assessment of 18 items and a 9-item role responsibilities section. Participants were stratified into three ability groups using Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis based on a Rasch model. McNemar's tests and non-parametric tests analyzed knowledge discrepancies and perceptual contradictions.
Results
A total of 122 participants completed the survey. Most partecipants (98.4 %) identified the CSC as the primary figure within a research center, and 77.9 % considered the CSC essential for clinical trial execution. Regarding functional overlap, 57.4 % of respondents believed that the CSC could perform the duties of a DM, whereas only 42.6 % thought the DM could assume the CSC's responsibilities. Participants with lower levels of knowledge demonstrated a higher rate of contradictory responses, indicating greater difficulty distinguishing between the two roles.
Conclusion
Study findings demonstrate an overwhelming preference for CSCs, who play a key versatile role in managing clinical trials. The insufficient theoretical understanding of the different duties of CSCs and DMs hampers operational efficiency. Establishing standard training programs combined with harmonization is essential to defining roles, enhancing teamwork, and providing quality clinical research practices.
期刊介绍:
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications is an international peer reviewed open access journal that publishes articles pertaining to all aspects of clinical trials, including, but not limited to, design, conduct, analysis, regulation and ethics. Manuscripts submitted should appeal to a readership drawn from a wide range of disciplines including medicine, life science, pharmaceutical science, biostatistics, epidemiology, computer science, management science, behavioral science, and bioethics. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications is unique in that it is outside the confines of disease specifications, and it strives to increase the transparency of medical research and reduce publication bias by publishing scientifically valid original research findings irrespective of their perceived importance, significance or impact. Both randomized and non-randomized trials are within the scope of the Journal. Some common topics include trial design rationale and methods, operational methodologies and challenges, and positive and negative trial results. In addition to original research, the Journal also welcomes other types of communications including, but are not limited to, methodology reviews, perspectives and discussions. Through timely dissemination of advances in clinical trials, the goal of Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications is to serve as a platform to enhance the communication and collaboration within the global clinical trials community that ultimately advances this field of research for the benefit of patients.