ICTR Data Manager Interest Group MeetingApril 15, 2011

Results from Data Manager’s SurveyKerry Stewart, Ed.D., FAHA, FAACVPR, FACSM, FSGC

Professor, Medicine and Director, Clinical and Research Exercise Physiology

Sharon Ghazarian, Ph.D.Director, Bayview Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Data Management (BEAD) Core

Understanding your job may include more than one responsibility, what percent of your time do you spend as:

25% or less

26-50% 51-75% 76-100%

43 38 23 1369 22 8 884 14 12 4

Answer Options

Database ManagerEntering DataPerforming Statistical Analyses

How long have you worked in data management?

Less than one year

1-5 years

6-10 years

more than 10 years

How many databases have you been responsible for creating?

0 1-2

3-4 5-6

7-10 10 or more

N/A

How many databases are you currently responsible for managing?

0

1-2

3-4

5-6

7-10

10 or more

N/A

How many protocols do you currently support?

0

1-2

3-4

5-6

7-10

10 or more

N/A

How many principal investigators do you currently work with?

0

1-2

3-4

5-6

7-10

10 or more

N/A

What is your job title?• Assistant/Associate/Full Professor• Clinical research coordinator• Research data coordinator• Research program manager• Protocol operations manager• Research data analyst• Associate scientist• Biostatistician• Epidemiologist• Software engineer• Research assistant• Research nurse• Programmer analyst• Sr. research specialist• Project coordinator• Instructor• Information systems manager

What training have you received for your current position?

Answer Options Response PercentResponse

Count

IT Training 23.0% 26Certificate Program 22.1% 25Coursework 38.9% 44Undergraduate Degree 42.5% 48Graduate Degree 46.9% 53Other 17.7% 20

24Other (please specify)

Other responses:ConferencesSelf-taughtOnline coursesMicrosoft training courses

How long have you been working at Johns Hopkins?

Less than one year

1-5 years

6-10 years

more than 10 years

Do you see yourself still working in database management in 5 years?

• Variation within responses– Research nurses, medical students largely report

that database work is a small percentage of job duties

Answer OptionsResponse Percent

Response Count

Yes 69.0% 80No 31.0% 36

Skills being used

• Predominance of data entry• Limited programming• Use of database software packages varies

widely. We did not ask about being used exclusively– Prominent use of Excel (90% reported use)– MS Access primary database (70% reported use)– Data also being stored in statistical packages(80%)

What software do you use in your work as a database manager?

Answer Options Response Percent Response CountAccess 69.8% 81Excel 91.4% 106FileMaker 6.9% 8J MP 0.9% 1MPlus 3.4% 4MS SQL 14.7% 17MySQL 7.8% 9Oracle 6.9% 8RedCap 8.6% 10Stata 26.7% 31SPSS 25.0% 29SAS 25.0% 29Teleform 7.8% 9Other 27.6% 32

Are you responsible for the physical hardware that maintains your research databases?

• Comments: support by GCRC, IT Dept, outside vendors• Among all, we need to learn more about:– Data security– Privacy– Backup– Theft

Answer OptionsResponse Percent

Response Count

Yes 32.5% 37No 67.5% 77

15Comments

Do you integrate data from external sources directly into the databases you manage?

• Potential barriers to integrating from external sources?

• Is this a service that would be useful?

Answer OptionsResponse Percent

Response Count

Yes 39.5% 45No 60.5% 69

Do you have anyone within Johns Hopkins to get consults or advice from when you have a question related to database

management?

Third party technical support

JH Help Desk

How satisfied are you with your ability to get consults or advice when you have a question

related to database management?Answer Options Response Percent Response CountVery satisfied 18.8% 22Somewhat satisfied 34.2% 40Neutral 19.7% 23Somewhat dissatisfied 11.1% 13Very dissatisfied 6.0% 7N/A 10.3% 12

22Comments

Comments:•There is no place where experts for data are available. I create my own relationships •User group would be very helpful for the projects I work on. •Not a good system in place to seek advice. •There is no official process – you have to be proactive on your own. •I feel for what data managers are expected to do, there is no training.

Where did you go for assistance the last time you had a question or problem in database management?

Response Percent

Response Count

14.4% 179.3% 1116.1% 1947.5% 566.8% 851.7% 6114.4% 175.1% 6

Answer Options

Third party technical J H Help DeskInternet forum(s)GoogleUser GroupJ H ColleaguesOtherN/A

Would you be interested in participating in a database users group?

Response Percent

Response Count

64.3% 7435.7% 41

Answer Options

YesNo

What do you feel a database users group can do for you?

• Hear how others within JHU get the job done• Strengthen my skill set• Share solutions• Connect me with data managers within the institution• Provide another outlet to seek and learn information• To have a resource to network with and a place to

post questions• To identify common problems and try to solve them• Share information on up-to-date technology• Learn how to be a better database manager

What do you want to learn as a database manager?

• Network storage and server support• Alternative ways to present data (graphs)• Streamline data updating process from JHU

repositories• Common pitfalls and new technologies• JHU rules regarding data management and IRB • Effective ways to share data• SQL; REDCap• Ways to extract information from EPR in a more

efficient manner