This core provides centralized services to the program project in three related areas: biostatistics, research computing, and data collection. The biostatisticians collaborate in all phases of research from study design, through interim analysis and monitoring, to final analysis and manuscript preparation. Biostatisticians were coauthors on nearly 100 manuscripts during the previous funding period, and are integral parts of the protocol development and review process. The computing group is responsible for the maintenance and operation of shared computing systems. These include a VAX cluster which supports the master patient database, and two Sun workstations which support statistical computing and electronic interfaces to the database. The computing staff create and maintain entry and reporting programs for the database, assist others in data extraction from the database, and maintain electronic connections to laboratory information which is downloaded directly to the database. The data collection group is responsible for data abstraction and entry into the master patient database, and for maintenance of the archival research files, which are being converted to web-accessible electronic images. The staff follow an explicit protocol for data abstraction, coding, key entry, and quality control which are applied uniformly to all transplant recipients entering research protocols of the Clinical Research Division, of whom a large majority enter protocols supported by this program project.
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