EXACT (Extracting Accurate efficacy and safety information from ClinicalTrials.gov) is an automatic data extraction tool to help medical researchers extract data from ClinicalTrials.gov. It was developed by Professor Hong Yu's UMMS BioNLP group at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
The tool enables the user to extract data from ClinicalTrials.gov in TSV spreadsheet format via a series of steps beginning by entering the NCT identification number. Our interface allows the user to develop spreadsheets that are specific to the purpose of their study by choosing various fields as deemed necessary, to eventually create a list of studies fulfilling his/her selection criteria that automatically populates a usable spreadsheet ready for meta-analysis. This interface does not require the user to be expert in understanding the programming basis of downloading and using the ClinicalTrials.gov database, thus potentially aiding the utilization of the same by a wider base of medical researchers interested in comparative studies and meta-analysis, as also encouraging the utilization of trial registry database, thus ensuring a lower chance of publication bias as well as a freedom to select endpoints of their specific research interest (and not only those reported in the research articles)
Our tool on the other hand focuses on the extraction of data based on NCT id and works with an interface which allows the user to generate a spreadsheet that is tailored to the necessity of her study. Our tool generates a set of compulsorily generated fields (Design, Allocation, Interventions, Dosage Regimen, etc), and allows the researcher to specify the outcomes of interest for her metaanalysis. The generated spreadsheet is expandable depending on the number of outcomes/adverse events selected by the user, and all outcomes of interest are divided into study arms and clearly lists the reported counts (numerators) and the number of individuals exposed (denominators), whenever available.
The database that EXACT uses currently consists of 88,418 total trials, and was last updated on 2019-11-09. Note that the database contains all trials, including ones without clinical results.
“ClinicalTrials.gov provides patients, their family members, and the public with easy and free access to information on clinical studies for a wide range of diseases and conditions.”