79 How do you share documents with collaborators external to your institution?

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: Using secure systems for sharing documents with external collaborators is essential for all researchers. These documents may include protected health information (PHI) or sensitive materials like protocols, study reports, DSMB reports, publications, presentations, abstracts, and statistical analysis plans (SAPs). Methods/Study Population: We surveyed the ACTS Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Special Interest Group (BERD-SIG) to gather information about the systems they are currently using or have used in the past for document sharing with external collaborators. The survey focused on the security of these systems, particularly in relation to sharing documents containing PHI. In addition, the survey included questions about various system features of interest. These features included version control, simultaneous editing by multiple users, and access rights management, such as the ability to assign different permissions (e.g., read-only, write, and download) to different individuals. We also invited participants to provide feedback on any additional positive or negative aspects of the systems they use. Results/Anticipated Results: We received 28 completed survey responses. Respondents had an option for choosing more than one system. The top current systems reported were Microsoft Teams (OneDrive, SharePoint) (n = 16), Box (n = 11), Google Docs/Drive (n = 10), and Dropbox (n = 6). Among other systems listed individually were Filelocker, REDCap, Slack, Website, Significant Media Shuttle, and Zulip. Notably, 15 responses indicated the respondents were unsure if their system is secure for sharing documents containing PHI. Respondents also offered feedback on both the positive and negative aspects of these systems. For example, a key advantage of Box was its password-controlled access. However, its incompatibility with office tools and the challenges for external collaborators attempting to access the system were noted as drawbacks. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Utilizing secure institutional document-sharing systems and understanding their features significantly affects the effectiveness and security of collaborations among researchers, particularly with external partners. This knowledge is especially crucial when sharing documents containing sensitive patient and study data.