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Introduction
The Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center (RGCI & RC) is a world-class hospital for cancer treatment. RGCI & RC is renowned globally for its comprehensive cancer care set-up. It has integrated cancer research programs and laboratories which drive improvements in cancer treatment and clinical care. With its world class biorepository, it meets the needs of the scientific community focused on cancer and allied research. The biorepository stored biospecimens, including plasma, buffy coat and tissue samples, taken with consent from patients diagnosed with cancer. The biorepository collects a wide variety of tumor tissue as well as adjacent normal tissue from surgical resections done at RGCI & RC. Tissue associated buffy coat and plasma are also collected. The RGCI & RC biorepository aims to provide translational cancer researchers with high quality biospecimens and related clinical data, in order to facilitate discoveries that will lead to improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Business & Operational Challenges
RGCI & RC collects several thousand samples a month. The number of samples collected have significantly increased and have lead to following challenges:
- Manual processes for capturing sample annotations and clinical data leading to significant billing of man hours.
- Data capture in spreadsheets, which is error prone.
- Difficulty in maintaining sample parent-child relationship across the database.
- Inefficient use of controlled vocabulary and data standards often lead to inconsistency in records.
- Absence of sample request life cycle automation has increased the time for processing the request and also often lead to incomplete data capture from requesters.
CloudLIMS Solution
CloudLIMS took on the task to study the workflow and to provide a solution that mirrors the biobank’s needs. With close attention to detail, CloudLIMS was able to meet all the requirements by delivering an enterprise grade solution covering the following aspects:
Quick Overview
Establishment
Founded in 1996, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center (RGCI & RC) stands out as one of the top hospitals for cancer treatment. The RGCI & RC world class biorepository collects and stores biospecimens, including plasma, buffy coat and tissue samples, taken with consent from patients diagnosed with cancer. It aims to provide high quality biospecimens and related clinical data to facilitate improvement in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Headquarters
New Delhi, India
Business Challenges
The major ask was not only to replace the tedious, time-taking and error-prone method of spreadsheets with an automated solution but also for maintaining sample annotations, for standardizing use of controlled vocabulary and for establishing data standards.
Solution
CloudLIMS
Benefits
Fast data capture, tracking and retrieval, enabled optimal use of storage capacity, made it easy to locate samples, thus saving time, and effort. CloudLIMS enabled RGCI avoid costly customization resulting in low capital expenditure. The efficiency of the biobank has already gone up by 30 percent.
- CloudLIMS helped import legacy data and organize patient’s clinical records, sample details and corresponding aliquot information.
- Records were efficiently linked to trace parent-child relationships.
- Standard controlled vocabularies were implemented for tumor and other clinical annotations from CAP and NCI that led to data standardization.
- CloudLIMS started generating storage location identifiers so that technicians have access to the next available storage location and can uniquely track each vial.
- CloudLIMS helped in making the biobanking operations HIPPA and CFR 21 part 11 compliant.
- Role based access privileges, electronic consent tracking and audit trails with electronic signatures were introduced.
- Tracking sample request life cycle workflow was implemented which helped in sending automatic status updates, thereby ensuring smooth workflow automation.
- Implemented new request management forms and workflows that support electronic recording of RGCI Tissue release board approvals against each request, replacing paper forms. Additionally, the request management forms also validate a requester’s credentials and enable online tracking of request status.
- RGCI now has multiple choices to register patient and sample data in batch mode.
Benefits
Securing the use of CloudLIMS dramatically improved the process of data capturing, tracking and retrieving of samples, thereby significantly enhancing the sample management process. This resulted in significant savings of both time and labor. Each box cell is now being uniquely identified, enabling optimal use of storage capacity. The efficiency of the biobank has already gone up by 30 percent.
RGCI can now take ownership of the product and scale the solution as per their needs. The solution being completely configurable has enabled RGCI avoid costly customization resulting in low capital expenditure.
Testimonial
"We wanted to upgrade, digitalize, and automate our inventory system workflows and further streamline our highly complex sample management processes. After deploying CloudLIMS, we are able to manage all types of incoming and outgoing samples more securely and efficiently, to ensure complete sample traceability, and to locate stored samples seamlessly. The CloudLIMS team configured the product to mirror our storage inventory and workflows. I am so happy with CloudLIMS' support and services!"
