A clinical standardization program was a central component of the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) project. The objectives of the clinical standardization program were to ensure that study staff:
Adhered strictly to the clinical case definitions
Were consistent in their assessment, recognition and interpretation of clinical signs
Used standardized equipment and techniques for obtaining clinical measurements
Used standardized methods for obtaining key clinical samples for laboratory testing
A training website, developed in association with a company specializing in digital healthcare, had the following objectives:
To act as a repository for the clinical standardization training materials, thereby supporting the training of any new staff who had missed their initial site training course
To provide continuing training of all PERCH staff throughout study enrollment
To facilitate regular evaluation of all PERCH clinical staff, and comparison of staff performance within and across sites
The training website contains all lectures from the initial training course, along with the multiple-choice quiz examinations and a video quiz used by the study staff throughout the study.
