TABLE 1. Example performance metrics and benchmarks developed for the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC).

Structure – to be assessed for each site and whole PCRC Ability of sites to use a centralized IRB for phase III and non-randomized trials Goal: 90% since centralized IRB functions improve cooperative group efficiency but we don't want to restrict ourselves to only sites that make this allowance Number of sites with experience in palliative care randomized controlled trials Goal: 80%, since we have an objective to always be training some palliative care research naïve sites Availability of a clinical research coordinator at the site experienced in palliative care research Goal: 80%, since we have an objective to always be training some palliative care research naïve sites Process Assessment of the performance of the whole PCRC Time from approval of study concept by the Scientific Review Committee to final version of the study protocol Goal: 12 weeks Time from identification of study-required TOP or SOP to finalization and distribution to study sites Goal: 6 weeks Time from identification of identification of the need to develop a CRF for a protocol to availability for use in the trial Goal: 8 weeks Time from final protocol to first IRB submission Goal: 2 weeks Proportion of site personnel with documentation of annual study-specific training Goal: 100% (training is a SOP imperative) Assessment of the performance of a specific PCRC study (note that summarizing these metrics contributes to assessment of overall cooperative group efficiency) Time from IRB approval to first patient first visit at any site Goal: 4 weeks Time from IRB approval at a site to site training Goal: 2 weeks Time for an invoice to be paid when submitted from a site Goal: 2 weeks Time from data lock to analysis of main results available for manuscript development Goal: 8 weeks Time from availability of main results analysis to final manuscript ready for publication Goal: 8 weeks Assessment of the performance of a specific PCRC site (note that summarizing these metrics contributes to assessment of overall cooperative group and/or study efficiency) Time from PCRC approval of a protocol for IRB submission at a site to site IRB approval Goal: median 12 weeks Time from IRB approval to first patient first visit at the site Goal: 4 weeks Outcomes Assessment of the performance of the whole PCRC Proportion of main study results published within 9 months of study completion Goal: 75% Number of research naïve sites added to PCRC each year Goal: 5 Number of junior investigators supported through the PCRC each year (e.g., funding, access to data for pilot studies) Goal: 5 Proportion of PCRC investigators participating in at least one face-to-face meeting each year Goal: 80% Proportion of annual reports submitted to PCRC sponsor(s) on time Goal: 100% Assessment of the performance of a specific PCRC study (note that summarizing these metrics contributes to assessment of overall cooperative group efficiency) Proportion of accrual target achieved (benchmarked against a running accrual target for each month) Goal: >80% Proportion of CRFs entered into study database within 48 hours of data collection Goal: 95% Impact factor of journal where main results published Goal: >10 Number of papers generated from study data Goal: >5 Assessment of the performance of a specific PCRC site (note that summarizing these metrics contributes to assessment of overall cooperative group and/or study efficiency) Proportion of accrual target achieved (benchmarked against a running accrual target for the site revised each month) Goal: >80% Proportion of CRFs entered into study database within 48 hours of data collection Goal: 95% Proportion of data elements entered generating queries for resolution Goal: <0.05% Proportion of allocated budget distributed to site Goal: >90%