The New England Journal of Medicine Announces the SPRINT Data Analysis Challenge
Boston, MA (PRWEB) September 28, 2016 -- To demonstrate the potential of sharing clinical trial data to develop undiscovered research findings, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is sponsoring the SPRINT Data Analysis Challenge. NEJM challenges individuals and groups to analyze the dataset underlying the SPRINT article, A Randomized Trial of Intensive versus Standard Blood-Pressure Control, and identify a novel scientific or clinical result.
“Patients who participate in clinical trials put themselves at risk. We have a moral obligation to ensure that participants’ data are widely and responsibly used,” said Jeffrey Drazen, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine and Co-Chair of the SPRINT Challenge. “We have an opportunity to the shape the future of clinical trial data sharing. The SPRINT Challenge is the first step.”
Details on how to enter the SPRINT Challenge are available on the website: https://challenge.nejm.org. Challenge participants must complete two rounds: a Qualifying Round and a Challenge Round. As participants qualify, they may begin to work with the SPRINT dataset and any other publicly available data to formulate their entry.
Participants with the best entries may win a prize and present their findings at the Aligning Incentives for Sharing Clinical Trial Data summit and web event on April 3-4, 2017, in Boston, MA. By hosting the Aligning Incentives summit, NEJM aims to initiate an open conversation among the three key constituencies — clinical trialists, data analysts, and patient participants — as well as government and funding agencies, to identify areas of alignment and sustainability for sharing of clinical trial data.
“There are so many other applications of the data that are staring us in the face. If one set of expert investigators are essential to interpreting clinical trial data, then multiple sets of such investigators — having the best experts internationally provide their input — can only accelerate our insights to improve accuracy and reproducibility,” said Isaac Kohane, M.D. Ph.D., Chair of Harvard Medical School’s Department of Biomedical Informatics and Co-Chair of the SPRINT Challenge. “The SPRINT Challenge is a catalyst for a new framework for data sharing.”
The SPRINT Challenge is open to health care professionals, researchers, and scientists from around the world. Individuals and groups interested in participating in the SPRINT Challenge are invited to register their intent at the SPRINT Challenge site. More information and the official rules can now be viewed at https://challenge.nejm.org.
About the New England Journal of Medicine
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM.org) is the world’s leading medical journal and website. Continuously published for over 200 years, NEJM publishes peer-reviewed research and interactive clinical content for physicians, educators and the global medical community. NEJM is a publication of NEJM Group, a division of the Massachusetts Medical Society. For more information, please visit http://www.nejm.org.
Dawn Bergantino, Solomon McCown & Company, 617-933-5013, [email protected]
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