'Remote Virtual Desktop' for DataFax EDC Usage
A regularly heard issue regarding using iDataFax for Electronic Data Capture (EDC) is the requirement to install a client tool on any PC which will be used to enter data. Issues related to this are:
- a Site/Investigator is not allowed to install software on a PC in a Hospital, and/or
- a System Administrator is required in order to install the iDataFax client tool, and/or
- difficulty getting through the (Hospital) Firewall, and/or
- whenever we upgrade the server side of DataFax, we also need to physically upgrade all client PCs, and/or
- whenever we install a piece of software on a PC at a site, our QA department requires us to validate this.
If you are effected by any of the above issues, it might be of interest to you to learn that Thorin is now able to supply a "zero-install" Remote Virtual Desktop solution. 'Zero-install' implies that nothing needs to be installed on the PC from which the iDataFax client will be used. And 'Remote Virtual Desktop' means that this service will enable you to load a 'virtual desktop' from a 'remote' server.
It allows iDataFax (or any other tool) to be started from any PC or laptop without having to install anything on the local PC. The only requirements for allowing a site access to the central DataFax server are:
- internet access (over standard port #80)
- free USB port (and USB port needs to be enabled)
- only works on a Windows PC (not on a MAC)
The free USB port is required as the Virtual Desktop requires an USB stick to be plugged into a PC. The USB stick automatically starts a SSL connection which will download a Virtual Desktop onto the PC. This Virtual Desktop can be fully pre-configured with any required application, but basically would not contain anything more than the iDataFax tool. The iDataFax tool on the Virtual Desktop will behave like the 'regular' iDataFax tool: allowing access to your DataFax server. As the USB stick does not require anything to be installed (like a driver), it will work on any PC, also on a PC on which no software is allowed to be installed. And the USB stick provides an additional physical layer of security (next to the iDataFax authentication): without stick, no access.
It also resolves the issue of having to update all client installations whenever the DataFax server is upgraded as only the 'master copy' of the Virtual Desktop needs to be updated.
Furthermore, it allows flexible user access. If an investigator takes out the USB stick and walks to another PC, the iDataFax session will continue exactly where he (or she) left. In fact, if he/she is able to drive home within the maximum session time of iDataFax (say 120 minutes), he/she only needs to plug in the USB stick in a PC at home and he/she can continue exactly on the same spot of the CRF page as he/she was when leaving the Hospital.
Different group settings are available which grants for example 'Sites' no printing or local disk access, while others might have.
Thorin currently provides this zero-install "Virtual Desktop solution" as Software As A Service (SAAS) Solution. That is, you tell us your requirements for the Virtual Desktop and we provide you with the USB sticks. User account management can either be done by Thorin or by yourself.
Please contact us should you want any more technical details or in case you want to test this out yourself.
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