Overview
Clinical data analysts work to assist a research team effectively and efficiently capture and document data for scientific research and validation. These specialists make sure that clinical studies are completed within the predefined timelines and that there is proven scientific data to back the study. Clinical data analysts should fulfill several skills and education specifications to do their jobs successfully.
Education Required to Become a Clinical Data Professional
Clinical data analysts generally must have at minimum a bachelor’s degree in areas such as life science, health sciences, computer science, or information technology / management based on the requirements of the company.
Training that provides thorough knowledge in clinical research, record management, data management etc. must be pursued if you desire to become a clinical data analyst as this job needs expertise with data management along with clinical research skills.
Benefits of Training and Certification:
- Achieve identification of skills
- Validate expertise and specific competence
- Differentiate knowledge and skills
- Show professionalism and dedication
- Demonstrate extensive organizational knowledge
- Helps in professional development
- Eligible for certain employment opportunities
- Increase your earning potential
Skills Required becoming a Clinical Research Professional
Clinical data analysts should have good communication skills, both written and verbal, along with solid understanding of clinical research processes, database development and clinical data management systems. These specialists also should be capable to manage several projects and processes simultaneously. In addition, clinical data analysts should be capable to perform well in a cross functional team such as with clinical research associates, project heads, regulatory staff, quality assurance staff etc. Good time management skills and ability to solve problems proactively are a plus. Companies also look for people with good presentation abilities and those who can manage tight deadlines and be innovative. Some organizations additionally look for clinical data analysts who have good understanding about the Oracle Clinical Application.
Clinical Data Analyst Duties
Following are some duties of a Clinical Data Analyst:
- Analyze upcoming and current end user specifications to enhance clinical operations.
- Design clinical and management reports.
- Team up with Information Technology and Clinical Operations team to assist in identifying business requirements.
- Develop and evaluate systems to get statistics essential for each research project.
- Review, extract, gather and evaluate patient/subject data such as medical, monetary and coding records.
- Develop procedure to approve and distribute research reports.
- Evaluate reports for validity and create report archives.
- Determine data sources to prepare research and reports and manage data abstracting process.
- Engage on the job training, quality enhancement campaigns and departmental orientation.
- Coordinate statistical issues as needed by project team members.
- Provide periodic retrospective quality audits.
Who Employ Clinical Data Analysts?
- Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Firms
- Clinical Research Organisations
- Hospitals and Universities who are engaged in clinical research activities
- IT Companies that provide data management services
- Consulting Firms
Conclusion
The requirement for trained clinical data analysts is on an increase, especially in growing fields such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. This can be attributed to the fact effective and proper data collection and reporting are important to all research projects. One must select an appropriate training program such as an Advanced PG Diploma in Clinical Research & Data Management to become successful Clinical Data Analyst.
