Smart Scheduling (SMASCH): multi-appointment scheduling system for longitudinal clinical research studies

OBJECTIVE: Facilitate the multi-appointment scheduling problems (MASPs) characteristic of longitudinal clinical research studies. Additional goals include: reducing management time, optimizing clinical resources, and securing personally identifiable information. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following a model view controller architecture, we developed a web-based tool written in Python 3. RESULTS: Smart Scheduling (SMASCH) system facilitates clinical research and integrated care programs in Luxembourg, providing features to better manage MASPs and speed up management tasks. It is available both as a Linux package and Docker image (https://smasch.pages.uni.lu). DISCUSSION: The long-term requirements of longitudinal clinical research studies justify the employment of flexible and well-maintained frameworks and libraries through an iterative software life-cycle suited to respond to rapidly changing scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: SMASCH is a free and open-source scheduling system for clinical studies able to satisfy recent data regulations providing features for better data accountability. Better scheduling systems can help optimize several metrics that ultimately affect the success of clinical studies.