Ensuring data quality in medical research through an integrated data management system.

An effective data management system ensures high quality research data by making certain of the proper execution of the study design. This paper presents the components of a data management system and describes procedures for use in each component of the system to obtain high quality data. We discuss the interrelationship among the components of the data management system and the relationship of the data management system to other parts of the research project. We identify underlying principles in design and implementation of a data management system to ensure high quality data.