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Background: In most research projects budget, staff and IT infrastructures are limiting resources. Especially for small-scale registries and cohort studies professional IT support and commercial electronic data capture systems are too expensive. Consequently, these projects use simple local approaches (e.g. Excel) for data capture instead of a central data management including web-based data capture and proper research databases. This leads to manual processes to merge, analyze and, if possible, pseudonymize research data of different study sites.Results: To support multi-site data capture, storage and analyses in small-scall research projects, corresponding requirements were analyzed within the MOSAIC project. Based on the identified requirements, the Toolbox for Research was developed as a flexible software solution for various research scenarios. Additionally, the Toolbox facilitates data integration of research data as well as metadata by performing necessary procedures automatically. Also, Toolbox modules allow the integration of device data. Moreover, separation of personally identifiable information and medical data by using only pseudonyms for storing medical data ensures the compliance to data protection regulations. This pseudonymized data can then be exported in SPSS format in order to enable scientists to prepare reports and analyses.Conclusions: The Toolbox for Research was successfully piloted in the German Burn Registry in 2016 facilitating the documentation of 4350 burn cases at 54 study sites. The Toolbox for Research can be downloaded free of charge from the project website and automatically installed due to the use of Docker technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nosocomial infections are the most common complication during inpatient hospital care. An increasing proportion of these infections are caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). This report describes an intervention study which was designed to address the practical problems encountered in trying to avoid and treat infections caused by MDROs. The aim of the HARMONIC (Harmonized Approach to avert Multidrug-resistant Organisms and Nosocomial Infections) study is to provide comprehensive support to hospitals in a defined study area in north-east Germany, to meet statutory requirements. To this end, a multimodal system of hygiene management was implemented in the participating hospitals.Methods/design: HARMONIC is a controlled intervention study conducted in eight acute care hospitals in the 'Health Region Baltic Sea Coast' in Germany. The intervention measures include the provision of written recommendations on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and multi-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MRGN), supplemented by regional recommendations for antibiotic prescriptions. In addition, there is theoretical and practical training of health care workers (HCWs) in the prevention and handling of MDROs, as well as targeted and critically gauged applications of antibiotics. The main outcomes of the implementation and analysis of the HARMONIC study are: (i) screening rates for MRSA, VRE and MRGN in high-risk patients, (ii) the frequency of MRSA decolonization, (iii) the level of knowledge of HCWs concerning MDROs, and (iv) specific types and amounts of antibiotics used. The data are predominantly obtained by paper-based questionnaires and documentation sheets. A computer-assisted workflow-based documentation system was developed in order to provide support to the participating facilities. The investigation includes three nested studies on risk profiles of MDROs, health-related quality of life, and cost analysis. A six-month follow-up study investigates the quality of life after discharge, the long-term costs of the treatment of infections caused by MDROs, and the sustainability of MRSA eradication.Discussion: The aim of this study is to implement and evaluate an area-wide harmonized hygiene program to control the nosocomial spreading of MDROs. Comparability between the intervention and control group is ensured by matching the hospitals according to size (number of discharges per year/number of beds) and level of care (standard or maximum). The results of the study may provide important indications for the implementation of regional MDRO management programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]