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This research aims to create a prescreening tool to streamline the identification of potential candidates for clinical trials in cancer care.

May 30, 2026

Development and implementation of a pilot prescreening tool for potential clinical trial participants for an immune checkpoint inhibitor trial.

Key Points

This research aims to create a prescreening tool to streamline the identification of potential candidates for clinical trials in cancer care.
Developed a prescreening tool based on Epic EHR data and Tableau dashboards.
Built SQL queries to extract relevant patient data for eligibility criteria.
Implemented the tool and updated patient information daily for authorized personnel.
The prescreening tool identified eligible subjects successfully, saving significant time for CRCs.
The tool was implemented on February 28, 2024, after two months of development.
Expands the potential subject pool beyond just oncologist referrals.

Abstract

e13655 Background: Clinical trial accrual can be challenging in a community-based cancer setting. During limited appointment time with patients, it is difficult for physicians to quickly access available clinical trials and determine eligibility. Additionally, time constraints also limit the ability for clinical research coordinators (CRCs) to conduct patient chart reviews via oncologists’ schedule to identify potential trial candidates. Under these circumstances, we developed a patient prescreening tool to help CRCs narrow down potential subjects in a community-based cancer institute. We implemented the pilot program to study SWOG S2013 (I-CHECKIT) at our sites. Methods: The prescreening tool was based on Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) system data and Tableau dashboard. First, we worked with the research unit leader to transform eligibility criteria into extractable data elements. Second, we built Oracle Structured Query Language (SQL) queries to retrieve data from the Epic Clarity database. The query captured solid tumor patients who were scheduled for their first immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, as well as any chemotherapy and upcoming appointments. Finally, we visualized the query result to Tableau dashboard. The dashboard was refreshed daily with an updated patient list and information. Only authorized study personnel had access to this tool. Results: I-CHECKIT cohort 1 was open to accrual at our sites on December 12, 2023. It took about two months to build SQL query and Tableau dashboard, and it was implemented on February 28, 2024. CRCs reported that the pilot tool saved a significant amount of time on prescreening patients, and eligible subjects were identified successfully. Conclusions: This solution is replicable for hospitals with Epic EHR system and Tableau platform. It helps reduce time and resources required to identify eligible patients for clinical trials. It expands the range of potential subjects beyond referrals from oncologists. We can implement this pilot tool with additional trials to further investigate its feasibility and usability.

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