SharePoint Clinical Trials Portal and Pigs Wearing Lipstick

SharePoint Clinical Trials Portal and Pigs Wearing Lipstick

People are using the word "Portal" a bit loosely these days, to describe web enabled EDC (electronic Data Capture) and CTMS (Clinical Trial Management Systems). Defined as a "a window or gateway to something" I suppose it works, but in the technology sphere, the use of the word "Portal" implies functionality far beyond a round window on a submarine. As an example of this new definition SharePoint represents all that is good about portal technology. It's the modern day reference and will be the Gold Standard by which all others are compared. [ I think its forerunner, at least a similar technology that received wide recognition amongst its field, was DotNetNuke].

The stack provides features that we're coming to expect when using the word Portal to describe certain web based systems. A portal must provide the ability to template sites and functionality. It needs to provide for interconnectivity between sites built on the portal. It should also provide a non-programmatic method for creating these sites and flexibility provisioning these sites with functionality. What is considered "Standard" functionality for portal software is evolving to include document management, workflow, search, lists and granular administration rights and management. Perhaps most importantly it has to allow the user the capability to add their own modules, code and extensions so the platform can integrate with other line of business apps the company is dependent on i.e. it needs to serve as a development platform so stakeholders can respond rapidly to changing business needs.

So next time someone tries to dump their overpriced kludged clinical trial management system or EDC tool on you as a "Portal", ask yourself if what they're offering is really a modern day Portal technology or just another siloed pig in a polk wearing lip stick. If my company were busy installing SharePoint for the enterprise management of business affairs, I'd fire anybody on the spot that didn't recommend one of the available SharePoint solutions for clinical trial management and electronic data capture. It’s a no brainer.

sign me,

You're Fired!