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GUIDANCE DOCUMENT

Electronic Source Data in Clinical Investigations Guidance for Industry September 2013

Final
Docket Number:
FDA-2010-D-0643
Issued by:
Guidance Issuing Office
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

This guidance provides recommendations to sponsors, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), clinical investigators, and others involved in the capture, review, and retention of electronic source data in FDA-regulated clinical investigations. In an effort to streamline and modernize clinical investigations this guidance promotes capturing source data in electronic form, and it is intended to assist in ensuring the reliability, quality, integrity, and traceability of data from electronic source to electronic regulatory submission.

This guidance addresses source data in clinical investigations used to fill the predefined fields in an electronic case report form (eCRF), according to the protocol. The guidance discusses the following topics related to electronic source data:

  • Identification and specification of authorized source data originators
  • Creation of data element identifiers to facilitate examination of the audit trail by sponsors, FDA, and other authorized parties
  • Ways to capture source data into the eCRF using either manual or electronic methods
  • Clinical investigator(s) responsibilities with respect to reviewing and retaining electronic data
  • Use and description of computerized systems in clinical investigations

Submit Comments

You can submit online or written comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 10.115(g)(5))

If unable to submit comments online, please mail written comments to:

Dockets Management
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

All written comments should be identified with this document's docket number: FDA-2010-D-0643.

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