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VAIRRS News | November 2024 |
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Newsletter Survey
The VAIRRS team invites you to participate in a brief and important survey about your experience with the monthly newsletter. Sharing your thoughts will help the VAIRRS team strategically plan 2025 efforts and initiatives. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey today!
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Data integrity continued to improve in October. The "Data Integrity" page on the Field Staff Reporting (FSR) Dashboard provides each VAIRRS site with the data and tools to ensure the accuracy, completeness, consistency, and reliability of their program’s data. In October, 48% of overall project status flags and 53% of Institutional Review Board (IRB) risk level issues have been resolved since the launch of the "Data Integrity" page.
Please Note: Overall project status includes the Research and Development Committee (RDC) blank yellow flags. Overall project status flags occur when a project's status is inconsistent with boards outside of the RDC. IRB issues occur when a discrepancy exists between IRB status and risk level.
Our goal is to reduce all flags and issues within the system to ensure VA researchers have access to the most accurate data. Help us improve data integrity. Please continue to review any overall project status flags on an ongoing basis and send them to reviewers or committees to make the necessary updates. Visit the FSR Dashboard and use the left-hand navigation section to see your site's "Data Integrity" page.
We are continuously working to improve the "Data Integrity" page on the FSR Dashboard to enhance and facilitate the user experience. If you would like to speak with the dashboard team about a particular data insight relevant to a specific business need, please do not hesitate to reach out.
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DID YOU KNOW?
VAIRRS Best Practice Sandbox
The VAIRRS Support Team is pleased to announce the launch of the VAIRRS Best Practice Sandbox (BPS) beginning in 2025! The BPS is designed to serve as a collaborative platform for the field to share local research-specific VAIRRS processes and best practices, as it relates to IRBNet, within the larger VA research community.
 Prior to the official launch, VAIRRS will conduct a “soft launch” to test and collect feedback on the BPS platform and processes. If you are interested and available to participate in the testing, please email the VAIRRS Support Team using the contact button below with the subject line “Interested in BPS Testing” by Friday, December 6, 2024.
Stay tuned for more information about the BPS!
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The VAIRRS End User Support Team provides administrative assistance to VA research programs to aid in the adoption of VAIRRS, increase compliance with related protocols and directives, and alleviate workload for site administrators. The support team works closely with VA research programs, for an average duration of six to nine months, assisting in pre- or post-submission validation of VA Project Cover Sheets, translation of board actions from a site's local database to IRBNet, consolidation of duplicate projects, and rectification of data discrepancies (yellow overall project status flags). If your VA research program is interested in assistance, please send an end user support request to begin the onboarding process.
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VAIRRS, collaborating with ORD Communications, launched a pilot workgroup to support the publication notification process for VA investigators. During the pilot, investigators from participating pilot sites will submit publication notifications in IRBNet. Investigators are asked to complete a monthly survey to capture feedback and VAIRRS will host office hours to capture additional feedback and for assistance. If you are interested in participating in the pilot, please email the VAIRRS support team.
Please Note: The pilot program will replace submissions using the ORD PubTracker website.
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TMS Integration
ORD is tremendously excited to announce that TMS Integration will be available in IRBNet by the end of the month! This enhancement will allow your research community to automatically link their IRBNet profiles to TMS. Once linked, their TMS training information will be automatically imported to their IRBNet profiles on a nightly basis. This integration eliminates the process for manually submitting and reviewing TMS records, saving valuable time and effort for your research community. IRBNet Support will be following up with you with more information on this new service. Contact VAIRRS for any issues related to integrating TMS records and your IRBNet user profile.
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VAIRRS is hosting office hours in December!
VAIRRS Office Hours: Data Integrity Issues
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In December, VAIRRS is offering two office hours to users seeking guidance on correcting issues on the "Data Integrity" page within the Field Staff Reporting Dashboard.
The office hours offer expert advice, training, demonstrations, and/or direction to the VA research community regarding data integrity in VAIRRS.
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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (EST)
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (EST)
Angela Foster, ePROS Program Manager
Alex Devine, VAIRRS Support Team
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Note: VAIRRS office hours will be replacing the VAIRRS Monthly Webinar Series until further notice. Office hours will be hosted via Microsoft Teams. Please hold these dates/times on your calendars with the link provided below if you would like to join the first session of VAIRRS office hours. |
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VAIRRS approved the following request during the October Change Control Board (CCB) meeting.
A new form for reviewers, "3.7R Reportable Events Checklist," was added to the RDC Committee Form Library in IRBNet and on SharePoint.
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 The VA Electronic Determination Aid (VAEDA) and the VAEDA–Artificial Intelligence (VAEDA-AI) Support Team is available for all VA facilities. To learn more about VAEDA, visit the VAEDA SharePoint page.
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VAIRRS University
In October, VAIRRS University added the Principal Investigator (PI) Change Instructions User Guide. This guide outlines how to change a PI within IRBNet once a project is active. It also includes step-by-step instructions on how to update the PI among research institutions.
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To learn more about VAIRRS University, watch the expert-led VAIRRS University Walk-Through webinar.
For questions about VAIRRS University, contact the VAIRRS Support Team.
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 December Data Integrity Office Hours
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 2024 Wrap Up and 2025 Outlook
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IRBNet support is available at govsupport@irbnet.org for technical issues and questions related to IRBNet. For regulatory questions or questions about processes subject to regulatory guidance, visit the ORD Policies and Guidance. If you still need help, email VAIRRS@va.gov. The VAIRRS User Group Listserv is also available if you would like to reach out to other users. Email the VAIRRS team to be added to the listserv.
Training resources and the VAIRRS Toolkit are available on the VAIRRS SharePoint portal.
The VAIRRS Change Control Board meets monthly to review requested changes and potential new forms and letter templates. If you wish to submit a change request, visit the VAIRRS CCB Request Form. Reminder: It is expected that all VAIRRS sites will use the standard library and supplement with local forms as necessary. The Project Cover Sheet, IRB Information Sheet, and Study Team Tracking wizards must be completed at the next study event as soon as possible.
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