Internet for clinical trials: past, present, and future

The Internet and World Wide Web have recently been introduced into the management of some aspects of large-scale clinical trials such as remote randomization and data entry and the distribution of information on trial progress. Electronic mail and websites have also been used to enhance communication among people involved in a clinical trial. The Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto miocardico acuto (GISSI) used telecommunications and the Internet in some recent large-scale clinical trials. GISSI constructed a website to keep the medical and cardiology community informed about the progress of its studies. Websites for clinical trials could play an important role in the future, especially in international clinical trials. The website could provide information such as study material and study news and tools such as electronic forums on protocol application for use by investigators around the world. This article describes the GISSI experience and outlines an appropriate structure for a clinical trial website.