La recherche sur les bases de données en réanimation

A huge amount of medical data is now available for clinical research because of the computerization of the healthcare system. If data records are complete and accurate and use standard definitions it becomes possible to develop high quality medical databases and subsequent high quality clinical research. Research on high quality clinical databases should become a useful complement to the randomised controlled trials. However, an important implication of a multidisciplinary (Intensive Care Unit physicians and nurses, biostatisticians) steering committee is needed to maintain the exactness and the completeness of recorded data, to reinforce the motivation of the investigators and to define orientation of the database and future researches.