Clinical Data Standards and Data Anonymization Considerations for Academic Organizations: International Cross-Sectional Survey

Introduction: Clinical Data Management (CDM) is a critical aspect of clinical research, and the use of clinical data standards is essential to ensure the quality and consistency of one’s data. Objectives: We aim to obtain a snapshot of practice patterns among CDM professionals at academic institutions regarding the implementation and use of clinical data standards. Methods: A survey of 14 questions on clinical data standards and anonymization was sent to over 300 academic clinical institutions worldwide. Data were obtained from a total of 50 institutions. Results: Sixty-six percent of institutions reported implementing data standards while only 22% of reporting institutions offered data standards training and 20% offered training in anonymization. The findings presented here will be useful to research administrators striving to improve upon and streamline the use, implementation, and training of clinical data standards in academic research today.