Using Excel in project management Hoang Bao Long, M.D. Clinical Research Coordinator Oxford University Clinical Research Unit
Using Excel in project managementHoang Bao Long, M.D.
Clinical Research Coordinator
Oxford University Clinical Research Unit
Research project management
Pre-implementation
> Regulatory documents
> Human resources
> Facilities
> Coordination planning
During implementation
> Site checking visits
> Facilities (cont.)
> Data verification
> Data entry & management
> Monitoring
Post-implementation
> Inventory checking
> Data management
> Close-out procedures
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Questions during implementation
Patients enrolled/followed
• How many per site?
• How many per month/week?
Facilities
• How many CRFs/files left?
• How many kits/lab consumables left?
Samples
• How many collected/transferred/stored?
• Any mismatches?
Progress update
• Anyone without training?
• Any monitoring visits to conduct?
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Why to question?
• Progress update:
• Is the study running smoothly? Any sites behind?
• All samples transferred and stored? Any samples missing?
• Inventory check:
• Continuous provision of study facilities
• Limited capacities at study sites
• Better for management of study consumables/inventory
• Handover minutes (related to finance)
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Example: Nga’s CRP study
• Research question: Effectiveness of CRP POC test on antibiotic
prescription rate in patients with mild-to-moderate acute
respiratory infection.
• RCT, 10 sites (9 OPCs & Ba Vi hospital), control:intervention 1:1,
adult:children 1:1
• Targets: 2000 patients (200/site)
• Monitoring visits: 1st – 20 pts; 2nd – 100 pts; 3rd – 200 pts
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Example: Nga’s CRP study
CRP test (site)
Urine sample
CRP test (site)
DAY 0 DAY 3-5 DAY 14
Enrollment (site) Follow-up (site) Interview (OUCRU)
Update study
status
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Example: Nga’s CRP study
• How many patients enrolled / come back for follow-up /
interviewed? (per site / per month)
• How many urine samples collected? Any mismatches (patients come
for follow-up but no urine samples, patients not come for follow-up but have urine
samples)
• How many consumables left? (CRFs, ICFs, urine containers, kits, lancets, tips)
• How many CRFs entered to CliRes?
• Any sites need training? Reached targets for monitoring?
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Using database in project management
• 2-dimension table: the simplest way
• Concepts:
1. Field (columns)
2. Record (rows)
3. Key
• Parameters:
• Raw parameters: direct input from
files/CRFs
• Calculated parameters: based on raw
data
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1
2
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Excel in project management
STRENGTHS
• Good way to create 2-dimension tables
• Functions: rapid calculation of parameters
• Pivot Table & Pivot Chart: a good tool for summary
• Filter: quick access to a subset of records
• More visual than other biostatistical softwares
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Excel in project management
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Excel in project management
WEAKNESSES
• Unable to perform customized and complex summary
• Tricky to unexperienced users (requires knowledge about database
management and functions)
• Very limited reference to other databases
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A new feature since Excel 2007: Tables
• Previous versions: “Area”
• Complicated reference
• Need redefining if the dataset is expanded
• Since Excel 2007: “Table”
• Simple reference: tables and fields have names
• Recognized in every sheet
• Automatically expand when a new field/record is added
• Formulas become universal
Demo: Academic Meeting Demonstration.xlsx
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Designing database
STEP 1: PLAN YOUR MANAGEMENT
• Your questions output data
• Output data input data
• Examples:
• How many patients enrolled per site/month?
• How many CRFs left?
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Designing database
STEP 2: CREATE TABLES
• Create fields for raw parameters (site, date of enrollment, number of
delivered CRFs)
• Create fields for calculated parameters
• Year of enrollment = YEAR([@Date of Enrollment])
• Month of enrollment = MONTH([@Date of Enrollment])
• Remaining No of CRFs = COUNTIFS(…) – COUNTIFS(…)
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Generating reports
• Reporting tables:
• Making use the same principles with other source tables
• Visual (changes seen immediately)
• Can be customized using functions
• Pivot Table/Chart:
• A rapid way to generate reports
• Need to refresh when changing source tables
• Limited customization to some predefined functions
Demo: 05HN CRF Log.xlsx
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Summary
• Resources management is important.
• Timely provision of facilities and support
• Avoid regulatory and financial issues
• Management has to be continuously done.
• Excel: a preliminary but good tool to manage research projects.
• Effective features: tables (since Excel 2007), functions, filter, pivot
table/chart.
• Users need to learn database management and Excel.
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THE ENDThank you for listening!