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Service provider roles enable external organizations to participate in studies by providing centralized services across multiple sites.

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What are Service Providers?

Service providers are external organizations that offer specialized services to a study, such as:
  • Central Laboratories: Process samples from multiple sites
  • Imaging Centers: Provide centralized image analysis
  • Core Labs: Perform specialized assessments
Service providers operate independently from individual sites but interact with data from across the study.

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Available Roles

RoleCodeDescription
Laboratory Leadlaboratory-leadManages laboratory operations and team
Laboratory Assistantlaboratory-assistantPerforms laboratory data entry tasks

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Laboratory Lead

The Laboratory Lead manages central laboratory operations for the study.

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Capabilities

  • Manage laboratory team members
  • Enter and verify laboratory results
  • View samples and requests from all sites
  • Configure laboratory workflows
  • Generate laboratory reports

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Responsibilities

  • Ensure timely processing of samples
  • Maintain data quality for laboratory results
  • Coordinate with site teams on sample collection

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Laboratory Assistant

Laboratory Assistants support the Laboratory Lead with data entry tasks.

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Capabilities

  • Enter laboratory results
  • View assigned samples and requests
  • Access laboratory protocols and procedures

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Limitations

  • Cannot manage team members
  • Cannot modify laboratory configuration

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Enabling Service Providers

Service providers must be enabled at the study level before they can be configured.
1

Enable in Study Settings

Navigate to Study Settings > Service Providers and enable the service provider feature.
2

Add Service Provider

Create a new service provider organization or select an existing one.
3

Configure Services

Define the services this provider will offer (e.g., laboratory panels).
4

Invite Team Members

Invite Laboratory Lead and Assistant users to the service provider.

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Service Provider Selection by Sites

When service providers are enabled:
  1. Sites can select from available service providers during onboarding
  2. The selected provider receives access to relevant site data
  3. Service provider team members can enter results for that site
Some studies allow sites to edit their service provider selection after initial setup. This is controlled at the study level.

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Data Flow

Site collects sample → Sample sent to Central Lab → Lab enters results → Results visible at site
The service provider’s data entries are associated with the originating site and participant while being managed by the service provider team.

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Best Practices

Define exactly what services each provider offers and what data they will enter.
Establish expected turnaround times for laboratory results to ensure study timelines are met.
Set up communication channels between service providers and site teams for issue resolution.

Site Setup

Configure sites to use service providers.

Site Roles

Roles for local laboratory teams.