The third goal of the CRSO is to reduce or remove institutional impediments to clinical and translational research. The Rockefeller University Hospital Information Technology Strategic Plan, drafted in 2003, identified from its outset the need for streamlined workflow in the conduct of clinical research. The Clinical Research Support Office is operationally linked to the Bioinformatics Department and the fulfillment of the Center Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan, on which the Clinical Research Officer has collaborated from its conception. This collaboration is crucial as the promise of data integration, transparency, and workflow assistance integral to the IT Plan are crucial to the dissemination of commonly utilized protocol information, critical regulatory and safety information, the reduction of duplication of effort, and the removal of obstacles to the conduct of translational clinical research, all of which are critical to the success of the clinical research enterprise.

Among the functions the electronic clinical research management system upgrade will enhance, are the Admission/Discharge/Transfer and Scheduling functionalities; electronic Protocol Submission; IRB Database and workflow; Protocol Document Management; Adverse Reporting; Case Report Form generation; and Study Management, including protocol clinical pathways mapping and data capture. Participant safety requires closely coordinated efforts between the Clinical Research Officer, the PCIR, and the Bioinformatics group to develop integrated solutions and support for each element of the clinical research process. Expected outcomes of this collaborative initiative include institutional coordination of activities across offices, such as the IRB, the Research Pharmacy, Medical Staff Credentialing, PCIR and Nursing, Sponsored Programs, Bioinformatics, Conflict of Interest, and the Clinical Research Support Office (create links to each dept page) to share data, expedite processes, and reduce duplication and error.