Author: Matthew Northgraves

Posted on

ICTMC 2024 special

International Clinical Trials Methodology Conference 2024
(ICTMC)

Between the 1st and 3rd October, six members of the Hull Health Trials Unit (HHTU) (Information Systems Manager, 2 Trial Managers, 2 Clinical Trial Coordinator and a HHTU statistician) attended the International Clinical Trials Methodology conference (ICTMC) 2024. They were joined by a NIHR doctoral research fellow linked with the Trials Unit.

ICTMC is one of the main methodology conferences, bringing together researchers, clinical trial professionals and the public from across the world and was a great chance to demonstrate some to the excellent work being done by the trial’s unit.

In total, 11 posters were presented as detailed below (link included to posters):   

  1. Actigraph Management: The Advantages and disadvantages of using a centrally managed ActiGraph distribution system for collecting physical activity date in a multicentre randomised controlled trial
  2. Strategies to encourage site engagement in the Morphine and BrEathLessness Trial
  3. Impact on participant recruitment of adding an Infographic to a Patient Information Leaflet in the MABEL trial, a Study Within A Trial (SWAT116)
  4. Challenges and solutions in the set-up of an international cross-boundary clinical trial for Osteogenesis Imperfecta
  5. Don’t Stop me now- efficiently handling database specification amendments arising form formal testing
  6. Developing and electronic safety reporting data flow in clinical trials using standard design components in an off-the-shelf
  7. An Evaluation of the implementation, adoption, and uptake of a model of remote e-consent within the PRE-DX study
  8. A comparison of the characteristics and response rates f participants using electronic, postal or phone data collection for follow-up questionnaires in the PRE-DX study.
  9. A Study Within a Trial (SWAT) to investigate the impact of regular scheduled calls between the coordinating team and sites on recruitment rates in a clinical trial (SWAT177)
  10. The use of routine primary care data for the assessment of the clinical and environmental impact of the SENTINEL programme on asthma care: a stepped wedge quality improvement study
  11. What strategies exist to help staff from clinical trial sites recruit participants?

A clinical trials coordinators perspective of ICTMC.

By Charlotte Thompson

On Monday 30th October 2024 I joined colleagues from the Hull Health Trials Unit (HHTU) to begin the journey from Hull to Edinburgh for the International Clinical Trials Methodology conference 2024 (ICTMC).

I did not know what to expect when I arrived. The Conference was a fantastic experience with opportunities to listen to the experiences of others with keynote speakers presenting at the opening and closing of the conference. Prior to attending, attendees were given access to a mobile app which acted as a guide to the event providing updates throughout. As an individual who has never attended an event like this, it gave me the opportunity to read the abstracts of each presentation and decide which ones I would like to attend in each session. This enabled me to listen to presentations I found interesting or would be beneficial which in turn has enhanced my learning. Through this I have been able to take home key lessons in research methodology which I have already implemented or taken into consideration in some of the trials I am currently involved in.

Preparing the abstract and subsequent poster was a new experience for me as the last time I did a piece of writing of this standard was my dissertation in 2013. Although I have worked in research as a research nurse for over 6 years, my role did not give me the opportunity to produce this type of work. Initially I was surprised when I was asked to produce a piece of work especially as I had only been a member of the team for less than 6 months and I was proud to receive the notification that my abstract had been accepted. With some guidance (and some editing) from senior and more experienced colleagues I began to feel more confident in the work I had produced, and I have implemented it in the pieces I am currently producing.

During the poster presentation my colleagues provided support when it was my allocation slot, the other allocated times gave me the opportunity to support the team and take the time to view the others in situ. This was an excellent way to meet new people and witness my colleagues reconnect with others within the world of research. The vendors stand provided further insight to the progression of technology in support clinical trials and the opportunities to develop one’s knowledge further.

Every attendee will have had a different experience and will reflect on these in their own way. The above account is my experience, and I am hoping to have the opportunity to attend again in the future.  

Posted on

January 2024

HHTU News Roundup

2024 has got off to a busy start. Here is a roundup of this months news.

STARLIT-2 open to recruitment!

Congratulations to the STARLIT team on their recent achievement – STARLIT-2 first site is now open to recruitment! STARLIT is a 3-stage programme that aims to develop ways to diagnose adrenal insufficiency by measuring cortisol in saliva samples which will lead to needle-free testing. The second study within STARLIT will be comparing the blood sample test to the needle-free test in healthy adults and children. It has been a long process, but the hard work in these initial stages has paid off and the focus now shifts to the next stage in the study life cycle.

MOI-A Study open to recruitment!

There was more success for our studies with the MOI-A Study also opening to recruitment! This study is working with sites in both the UK and Italy who will be looking at whether the use of the drug losartan will reduce bone turnover in older adolescents and adults with Osteogenesis imperfecta, bone fragility.

Sheffield Children’s NHS Hospital Foundation Trust and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital successfully obtained sponsor Greenlight and have started to identify and shortlist the participants. The 3rd site in the UK; Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be open to recruit shortly. The Italian sites will open later this year.

ProACTIVE WP-2A has its first recruit

Proactive is a study made up of several work packages which are examining the clinical and cost effectiveness of Alcohol Care Teams to inform the future commissioning of these services.

Work Package 2a recently opened and successfully recruited it’s first patient! The purpose of this work package is to assess the effectiveness of alcohol care teams by comparing the outcomes of people with alcohol-related problems who attended hospitals with alcohol care teams to those who attended hospitals with no alcohol care team. Research assistants are going into 6 different hospitals across the country where they will carry out questionnaires with patients that have alcohol related problems. This is a great first step for this study and with more research assistants to hire and sites to open, this number is the first step to success!!

Quality Assurance Manager started

Our much awaited and much needed Quality Assurance Manager started after the Christmas break! Kerryann has joined as from the Molecular Imaging Research Centre at Hull University Teaching Hospitals where she was a Quality Control Manager. She has the big job of consolidating all the processes that have been put in place since the formation of the trials unit including all our SOPs and training. We are all really pleased to have her in our team even though I am sure we will all have a whole load of SOPs to read shortly!! Welcome Kerryann. 

Our SDM accepted onto Building Brilliant Leaders programme

Our Senior Data Manager Sarah Sumpter was accepted onto the University’s Building Brilliant Leaders Programme. This programme is designed to develop leaders who understand their impact on their people’s wellbeing, who actively create an inclusive culture and who can work with people as individuals to bring out the best in everyone. At the end of January Sarah and John Turgoose (her line manager) attended the launch event at the University. At this event the leaders from across the University and their sponsors gathered to share their hopes and ambitions for the project, listened to members of our ULT panel as well as talks from Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kevin Kerrigan and Chief People Officer, Sarah Wilson.

We wish Sarah the best of luck with the program!