Grant Description Information

Long format

Collaborative Data Services (CDS) provides technical support in the areas of survey implementation, quality control, data management, and programming. Services include sample development, telephone and in-person bilingual interviewing, mailing and tracking of questionnaires, data entry, custom programming, database management, clinical trials management, and tracking study participants lost to follow-up. All staff has received Human Subject Research and HIPAA training. CDS is overseen by a Faculty Oversight Committee, comprised of 6 FHCRC faculty members, who meet with the director and core managers 3 times a year.

CDS is located at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) South Lake Union Campus on the 1st floor of the Arnold Building. The resource is housed in the Arnold Public Health Sciences Building, on the Hutchinson Center South Lake Union Campus, and is readily accessible to both investigators and research project staff. The resource occupies approximately 6,700 square feet and includes nineteen offices or shared spaces for managers and staff, supporting three cores: Interviewing, Data Control and Programming, and a staff of 21.

The Management/Administrative Team occupies four management offices. The resource has access to several other shared spaces, including a secure short-term records storage room, a library/conference room, a mail assembly room and a work/copy room. All spaces are in proximity to one another.


Short format

Collaborative Data Services provides technical support in the areas of survey implementation, quality control, data management, and programming. Services include sample development, interviewing, mailing and tracking of questionnaires, data entry, programming support, database management and tracking study participants lost to follow-up. The resource is housed in the Arnold Public Health Sciences Building, on the Hutchinson Center South Lake Union Campus. 


Interviewing Core

The Interviewing core utilizes a state-of-the-art computerized call center for telephone data collection. All interviewing workstations are equipped with a computer workstation for call management and real-time data entry. The call center has nineteen privacy cubicles for interviewing, and a work and storage area. CDS has four lead interviewer offices set-up for monitoring interviewer telephones and computers for quality control.

The CDS programming core has developed and maintains custom software for sophisticated call center management (including random digit dialing). Electronic surveys are implemented using DatStat Illume and REDCap. All interviewing workstations can be remotely monitored by Lead Interviewers.

The resource also offers interviewer training for scientific study personnel. This training is performed upon request and is tailored to the needs of the specific study. CDS has trained interview staff for English and non-English language interviews, in person and telephone-based studies, using either computer or paper-based data gathering.


Data Control Core

The Data Control core has three offices for full-time staff and four workstations for part-time employees, and a meeting area. This core has 6 computers, which run multiple applications including Office, Illume and Express Scribe. It also has a workroom for high-speed scanning, label printing, color printing, and mail assembly space for customized mailings to participants.

The CDS Data Control core has access to the standard office equipment but also owns 2 Brady Label Printers 360X for freezer labels.

The Data Control core offers a variety of services including: data entry with double entry quality assurance, data abstraction; file redaction; document scanning; transcription and mail assembly.  Data entry can be performed using DatStat Illume, REDCap, or Microsoft Access. In addition, the experienced CDS Data Control staff is flexible and can also enter data into other systems, if required by our clients.

The Lost-to-follow-up Tracking Service (LTS) is an additional resource within the Data Control Core. The LTS provides scientists at Fred Hutch consistent, cost effective, IRB-approved methods for locating study participants who have been out of contact and need to be re-engaged. The LTS will utilize various IRB-approved resources and approaches in attempting to locate study subjects or potential subjects as requested by individual studies.  Services provided by the LTS are aimed at maintaining and improving the quality and integrity of research while adhering to Fred Hutch’s standards for privacy and confidentiality.


Programming Core

The Computer Programming core has four computing offices equipped with programming workstations, and a meeting area with a conference table.

The core comprises three programmers with a proven track record in custom software development, and has created databases and applications for hundreds of projects. It also includes a project manager.

Services offered include custom software development; database design and creation; clinical trial management; web site creation; and project management.

The experienced Programming Core uses a diverse mix of databases and custom applications hosted on a robust server infrastructure to provide hosting services for Consortium clients. The department uses VMWare-based virtual servers hosted by Center IT and located in a state of the art data center.

The CDS Programming Core takes security and privacy seriously and all sytems are created with IRB compliance in mind. In addition, software systems can be customized to be compliant with FISMA or 21 CFR Part 11 requirements, if necessary.