What role does DITA play in the development of clinical trial documentation?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

DITA plays a crucial role in the development of clinical trial documentation, contributing to efficient, consistent, and compliant documentation in the complex field of medical research. Clinical trials involve a multitude of documents, including protocols, informed consent forms, case report forms, and more. Here’s how DITA is instrumental in this process:

1. Structured Documentation: DITA enables clinical trial documentation to be structured systematically. Complex clinical trial protocols, for example, can be divided into manageable topics, making it easier for research teams to author, review, and maintain the content. Each topic can cover specific aspects such as inclusion criteria, study objectives, and data collection procedures.

2. Content Reuse: Clinical trials often involve the reuse of specific information across multiple documents. With DITA, content reuse is streamlined through the creation of reusable topics and content modules. This ensures consistency in information, reduces the risk of errors, and expedites the document creation process.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA could structure a common content module for clinical trial documentation:

<!-- Example: DITA Clinical Trial Content Module -->
<topic id="informed-consent">
  <title>Informed Consent</title>
  <body>
    <p>Informed consent is a critical part of participating in a clinical trial.</p>
    <ul>
      <li>Participants will receive detailed information about the trial and its risks and benefits.</li>
      <li>They will have the opportunity to ask questions and will sign an informed consent form to confirm their understanding and agreement.</li>
      <li>Consent can be withdrawn at any time without any impact on the participant's medical care.</li>
    </ul>
  </body>

By employing DITA, clinical trial teams can create, maintain, and customize documentation with precision, improving overall document quality and adherence to regulatory standards. It is particularly valuable in an environment where accuracy and compliance are paramount.