ITCMC Special

In mid-September, members of the Hull Health Trials Unit (HHTU) attended the International Clinical Trials Methodology Conference in Birmingham.

The conference is always a highlight of the year, bringing together colleagues from across the clinical trials community for an excellent programme of workshops, presentations and opportunities to share knowledge, learn from others and network.

This year three members of HHTU staff presented their work at the conference which provided a fantastic opportunity to showcase the breadth of research taking place within the Unit and to contribute to the wider clinical trials community.

Laura Hermann delivered a PhD lightning talk, accompanied by a poster presentation, titled “What can clinical trial screening logs tell us about sex differences in recruitment pathways?”. Laura also presented a second poster, “What factors affect women’s decisions to take part in clinical trials? A qualitative evidence synthesis”.

Laura Hermann – ICTMC2026 – QES ready to print_Sept26 Download

Laura Hermann – ICTMC2026 – Screening log ready to print_Sept26 Download

Mahboobeh Haji Sadeghi presented a poster titled “Using NHS England data linkage to address ethnicity and deprivation gaps in routine breast screening data in a Door to Door transport feasibility study (DOORstep)”.

Grant Constable presented “DAMPen-Delirium II: An Adaptive, Implementation-to-Target cRCT using remote records and opt-out inclusion to embed guideline-adherent delirium care in UK palliative care units”.

ICTMC 2026 DOORSTEP Poster Download

ICTMC 2026 Poster – DAMPen-Delirium II (2)Download

Conference highlights

Laura and Mahe above, as well as HHTU Operations Manager Bronwen Williams who was also in attendance, shared their highlights from the conference below.

Laura’s highlights were:

I was pleased to have another opportunity to attend the ICTMC, including pre- and post-conference workshops on the use of video animations in clinical trials and data-enabled recruitment, respectively.

The pre-conference workshop demonstrated how video animations can help with recruitment, which may also help engage with people underserved by clinical trials.

The post-conference workshop gave valuable insights into how harnessing the power of health datasets can speed up recruitment, a notoriously difficult aspect of running a clinical trial.

I was also grateful to present my own research on what trial screening logs can show us about sex differences in populations approached for trial participation, and the factors affecting the recruitment of women to clinical trials, which prompted further valuable discussions with other researchers.

Mahe’s highlights were:

A valuable educational workshop titled “Rebooting Clinical Trials with Complex Innovative Designs” that explored innovative approaches to designing and delivering clinical trials using CID.
Presenting the DoorStep study poster on the use of NHS England data linkage was a valuable opportunity to share our work and learn from others working in this area.
There were lots of interesting discussions around the current and future use of AI in CTUs, its potential impact on clinical research, and the challenges and concerns we need to consider.
Decentralised Clinical Trials (DCTs) was another fascinating area, particularly how decentralised approaches can be incorporated into early trial methodology.
Greener clinical trials was an important discussion on how we can make clinical trials more environmentally sustainable and reduce their impact without compromising research quality.

Overall, ICTMC 2026 was a fantastic few days filled with insightful discussions and new ideas. It was a great opportunity to reflect on how innovation, AI, digital approaches, data linkage and sustainability can shape the future of clinical research while keeping trials patient-centred, accessible and inclusive.

Bronwen’s highlights were:

I went to the ICTMC conference with a plan to learn more about ‘greener trials’ and how to reduce HHTU’s carbon footprint. There were several ‘greener trials’ workshops and presentations during the conference which were very informative and well attended. It became clear that greener trials may well become the next cross-cutting issue, in areas such as funding applications, study design and vendor assessments.

As the HHTU Area Lead for greener trials and a member of the UK Registered CTU Network greener trials group, I am keen to see this issue become part of mainstream activity in all stages of a clinical trial management cycle.

The timing of the conference was perfect as we have a Trial Management Away Day in October, including a session on greener trials. Discussions and feedback will be integrated into a new HHTU greener trial strategy that will be a focus of activity in 2026 and 2027.

ICTMC is always a great event for our staff to attend with lots of learning from the workshops, presentations and through networking. The team are already looking forward to the next one!!