The IDDI team is excited to present our latest award-winning scientific poster on graphical visualization strategies for Independent Data Monitoring Committees (IDMCs) at PSI Annual Conference 2026!
Recognized with the Poster Prize at the PSI Annual Conference 2026, this work highlights how effective data visualization can enhance safety monitoring and decision-making in clinical trials.
The poster was presented by:
- Samantha Cambier, Senior Biostatistician, IDDI
- Lava Timsina, Senior Biostatistician, IDDI
- Shweta Srikanth, Asociate Biostatistician, IDDI
Abstract:
Independent Data Monitoring Committees (IDMCs) operate under strict time constraints to rapidly determine whether emerging data raise safety or efficacy concerns. Interim safety reviews often involve large, complex datasets, and excessive tabular reporting may obscure clinically relevant patterns. For IDMC members, the complexity is not the volume of data available, but whether potential issues can be identified quickly and reliably. Well-designed graphical displays can support the IDMC members in navigating this complexity in timely and informed decision-making process of a clinical trial.
This poster proposes a curated set of graphical approaches specifically tailored to IDMC review needs by transforming raw data into intuitive, interpretable insights. Through cases examples and best practices, the selected graph in this session are designed to balance clarity and completeness, allowing both high-level assessment and focused examination of atypical patterns or patient trajectories. Each visualization is presented with its intended purpose and practical contribution to committee review, such as faster signal identification, improved interpretability, and more transparent communication of a clinical trial data.
Visualizations that emphasize temporal evolution, between-group comparison, and deviation from clinical thresholds enable reviewers to detect trends and anomalies more efficiently than tables alone. In addition to the static traditional visual methods, interactive visual tools further supplement IDMCs to explore data dynamically, drill down into relevant subsets, and compare evolving patterns across time thus modernizing data presentation. Examples include longitudinal laboratory profiles with reference ranges, shift plots summarizing baseline-to-postbaseline changes, and adverse event displays structured to highlight frequency, severity, and timing. When thoughtfully constructed, such graphs reduce cognitive burden, direct attention toward potential safety signals, and preserve clinical context in making evidence-based recommendations.
By prioritizing concise and clinically meaningful visualization strategies, this work illustrates how graphical reporting can evolve from descriptive output to a central decision-support tool for IDMCs, ultimately strengthening the quality and decision making efficiency of trial oversight.
