Creation of an institutional semi-independent data monitoring committee

Background: A major goal of the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical and Translational Science Award program is to facilitate clinical research and enhance the transition of basic to clinical research. As such, a number of Clinical and Translational Science Award centers have developed services to facilitate the conduct of clinical research, including support with fulfilling regulatory requirements. Methods: The University of Kentucky sought to establish an institutional semi-independent monitoring committee to provide oversight for clinical research studies per National Institutes of Health requirements and recommendations. Our semi-independent monitoring committee was initiated in 2010. Results: Since the inception of our semi-independent monitoring committee we have restructured its operations and protocols to improve efficiency. This article discusses our experiences with semi-independent monitoring committee creation and growth. Conclusion: This article summarizes our experience in creating and maturing an institutional data monitoring committee.