Case Study: Moving Beyond Paper - The Benefits of the EDGE Electronic Delegation Log
The Challenge
At University Hospital Southampton (UHS), delegation of duties is a vital part of research delivery. It ensures specific tasks are formally assigned by the Principal Investigator (PI) or Chief Investigator (CI) to appropriately trained members of the research team. While duties can be delegated, the PI or CI retains overall responsibility for the study. This makes accurate and up-to-date records essential.
User Profile
Name: Dr Mikayala King
Job Title: R&D Governance, QA and Sponsorship Manager
Organisation: University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, UK
EDGE user since: 2013
Historically, this process was managed on paper. Delegation logs often ran to several pages of names, trial roles, duties, signatures, and dates. Updating them meant physically tracking down team members for signatures – a process that was both time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies or missing information.
The Solution
The solution came in the form of the EDGE Delegation Log, which was developed to replace cumbersome paper records with a clear, concise, and regulation-compliant electronic system. The tool allows me to update records remotely, store all key details in one place, and keep a complete audit history. Information such as staff names, roles, approvals, start and end dates, responsibilities, and signatures can be accessed and updated online with the added benefit of downloading reports in familiar formats like Excel.
The Process
We rolled out the EDGE Delegation Log across all sponsored studies. The implementation involved engaging nursing teams and PIs/CIs in discussions, running workshops, and even providing one-to-one support to update signatures directly. This practical, hands-on approach ensured that staff could start using the system quickly and confidently. We also ensured that the Delegation Log was embedded into standard EDGE training for all new users. Luckily the delegation log is easy to understand, adaptable to our needs, and keeps everything in one place.
The Results
It helped us reduced both the time to sign-off and the number of incidents related to delegation logs, while making the whole process more efficient for our teams.
The impact has been significant. The time required to get delegation logs signed off has been reduced, incident reports related to delegation logs have dropped, and unnecessary printing has been cut back, which has supported the wider shift to digital records. The system has also improved cross-site collaboration, making it easier to share accurate, up-to-date information with partners such as the CDRC. Other sponsors are now beginning to adopt the EDGE Delegation Log at the feasibility stage, which has extended its benefits beyond UHS.
What’s Next?
Looking ahead, I see the Delegation Log as an important step toward building a fully integrated, paperless research environment, one that supports compliance, transparency, and smoother collaboration across the research community.
“The impact has been significant. The time required to get delegation logs signed off has been reduced, incident reports related to delegation logs have dropped, and unnecessary printing has been cut back, which has supported the wider shift to digital records. The system has also improved cross-site collaboration, making it easier to share accurate, up-to-date information with partners such as the CDRC. ”