Pharmacovigilance as we know is a science with
a set of pre defined functions to collect, analyse, monitor adverse event
reports in understanding the safety profile of drug.
The
set pre defined functions would include case processing through data entry of
adverse event forms into safety database, medical review, aggregate reporting,
signal detection, risk evaluation and mitigation strategies.
With
patients awareness and regulatory compliance we may have seen a surge of
adverse event data over last few years , resulting in the urgent need for the
application of automation. Pharmacovigilance is the only discipline where in
which timelines and quality data are evaluated on a benchmark of 100 % and a
compromise in these two parameters are considered to be a zero tolerance.
Automation
of above pre defined function is possible through machine learning, which is an
integral components of Artificial Intelligence.
What
is Artificial Intelligence ?
Artificial intelligence may be called as an
ability of a computer system to perform task that require human intelligence
such as cognition through visual acuity, voice recognition, language
translation leading to decision execution of a certain function.
Machine learning is based on reinforced data,
where in which when an algorithm is executed to accomplish a specific task.
If it accomplishes the algorithm ends and the
entire procedure in auto stored in the program, which means next time one does
not need to manually execute the program, it would be auto executed in order to
accomplish the task, if presented with the exact same variables as that of the
earlier scenario.
In the second case if the task is not
accomplished then too the procedure would be stored in the program and next
time when the program is auto executed it would not take the same path thus
minimizing error.
This process self-learning through experience
is called machine learning For example imagine a scenario where in which
you have you have received an email from a patient who has experienced nausea, followed by headache and bleeding from nose
on Lisinopril, the patient also mentions that he has a history renal impairment
and also that he was a chain smoker for which he took Varenicline to quit
smoking.
An algorithm created on the principle of
machine learning would have the capability to auto recognises and identify the suspect drug from concomitant
therapy, adverse event from medical history and not only this through robotic
process automation it may integrate the email with safety database, which means
not only it identifies the suspect drug and the adverse event, it now also does
the auto data entry, prepares auto case narrative and auto sends letters to the
patient or physician for further follow up
from the safety database.
This is ‘Artificial Intelligence’, a capability
attained through self-learning to process thousands of data within seconds.With automation employees engaged in manual
data entry would be upskilled in the execution of AI process.
Cliniminds (www.cliniminds.com ) offers training in aggregate reporting, our
students are trained on PSUR, PBRER, Addendum, Summary Bridging, DSUR, ASR, EOS
Reports with Hands On’ experience on
ORACLE Argus Safety and other safety databases for line listing, summary
tabulation extraction.
