New communication and data collection technologies used in population and patient cohorts

Abstract

Background/Aim: New communication and data collection technologies, including mobile data collection, smart sensors, social media and geospatial technology allow researchers to collect and process data with greater detail and precision, in more natural settings, over longer periods of time and with lower cost and participant burden. The purpose of this study is to map existing population cohorts, patient cohorts and clinical trials using social media and new communication technologies. This is part of a European project - Synergies for Cohorts in Health: Role of all stakeholders (SYNCHROS; https://synchros.eu/). The project seeks to establish a sustainable European strategy for the development of the next generation of integrated cohorts. Methods: As part of SYNCHROS project the ascendant (e.g., electronic records, repositories, initiatives) and descendant (e.g., MEDLINE/PUBMED/COCHRANE/EBSCO databases) search approaches were performed to map the main cohorts and clinical trials. The following inclusion criteria were selected: 1) publications/articles/reports published in English from 2012 to date, 2) population-based cohorts, patient cohorts or clinical trials and 3) studies using new communication technologies for communication and data collection. Results: A total of 940 studies were initially selected. Of these, there were 829 original research articles, 32 review papers and 79 initiatives. Finally, 171 studies met inclusion criteria. Most of the studies were conducted in the US and Europe and mobile data and geospatial technologies were the most frequently used new communication and data collection technologies. There were no studies using artificial intelligence. Conclusions: New communication and data collection technologies are increasingly used in cohort studies and clinical trials, thanks to their availability and accessibility. While techniques based on new technologies face a number of challenges, they offer the potential to bring profound, transformative improvements to the study of health in longitudinal and cohort studies.