Application of Advanced 5g Mobile Network Technology to a Nationwide Clinical Data Collection System in Japan

Introduction: Collecting clinical information is crucial for clinical research and surveillance. The collection of clinical information online requires network connectivity. We advocate the development of a nationwide clinical information collection system that can collect clinical data directly from electronic health records. However, in Japan, Internet access to electronic health record systems is often restricted by government guidelines and the cost of building a network to achieve the required security level for direct data capture is high. Therefore, reducing the cost of network construction is necessary for deployment of a nationwide clinical information collection system. Method: To reduce the cost of network construction, we compared the cost of wired connections with that of a network constructed using 5G mobile communication network technology. Additionally, we evaluated the possibility of unauthorized access from outside the network in terms of security. Results: Mobile communication technology has significantly reduced network construction costs. Regarding security, access from outside the VPN was impossible and no significant issues were observed. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of this study will be useful for deploying online clinical information collection systems in multiple facilities. Widespread use of real-time online clinical information collection systems based on mobile communication network technology will facilitate clinical research and surveillance.