The impDAT field study is open to all program users and allows them to compare their own data with the combined data of all other field study participants. This unique feature supplements the already extensive means of evaluation offered by impDAT and allows users to benefit from the experience of their many colleagues.

After exporting and submitting data to the central internet field study database, standard queries are available to evaluate and compare the results, making the system very easy to use.

Only anonymised user data is exported for the field study, patient names and addresses, doctors' details and comment fields etc. are not exported and patient numbers are changed, thus ensuring that it is not possible for the data to be linked to it's origin in any way.

Security and privacy of the exported data and their source are further ensured by a variety of means, please see the section entitled 'Security' for details.

In addition, data gathered by the field study can be made available to scientific organisations for evaluation purposes, the results of which naturally benefit all those seeking to improve standards and promote quality in their work.

We hope that the impDAT field study becomes a valuable assistance for your professional activities.

Multi center studies, in contrast to the general field study, are conducted by smaller, limited groups of participants, normally to evaluate a particular aspect of interest, such as a new implant type or surface.

All the security and privacy mechanisms of the general field study also apply to the multi center studies, see the section entitled 'Security' for details.

Once the study has been defined, participants receive a study definition file which they can read in with impDAT. These study definitions can then be selected for use on the patient screen of impDAT. Once a patient has been included in the study, the data relevant to the study can be easily specified during normal data entry.

Designated participants of a multi center study can download the collected data for the study from the central internet database and evaluate it with the full statistical functionality available in impDAT. Downloaded data can also be exported for external processing by other programs using the standard impDAT export function.

impDAT multi center studies provide a very easy and effective means of collecting and evaluating data from multiple sources.

There are numerous mechanisms in place to ensure the privacy, security, quality and integrity of data in all impDAT studies.

Through the use of standardised, centrally administered tables, impDAT does not allow the entry of invalid or unknown values, it is ensured that only valid data can be entered and later evaluated.

Privacy is ensured by only exporting anonymised data for the study, patient numbers are changed and patient names and addresses, doctors' details and comment fields etc. are not exported.

When data is exported for a study, the exported data includes unique identifiers for the study and for each participant, thereby avoiding the possibility of one source contributing several times to the same study, which would distort results.

The exported data is compressed (to minimise transmission time to the internet), encrypted and guarded with multiple checksums to guarantee that only valid, untampered data can be submitted to the study. These mechanisms make it virtually impossible for unauthorised access to or manipulation of the exported data in any way.

Evaluation of study data is controlled by password when accessing the internet or by a special encrypted protocol when the evaluation is initiated from within impDAT itself, ensuring that no unauthorised party can gain access to any data.