e-Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2021

Improving regional access to clinical trials and implementation of COSA teletrials model by a networked approach: Regional Trials Network Victoria. (#301)

Craig R Underhill 1 2 , Donna Long 1 , Ian M Collins 3 , Stephen Brown 4 , Samuel J Harris 5 , Javier Torres 6 , Philip Campbell 7 , David Campbell 7 , Kurt Lankovic 8 , Fiona Tuthill 1
  1. Medical Oncology, Border Medical Oncology Research Unit, Albury, NSW
  2. UNSW School of Clinical Medicine, Rural Clinical Campus, Albury, NSW, Australia
  3. Southwest Healthcare , Warrnambool, Vic, Australia
  4. Grampians Health, Ballarat, Vic, Australia
  5. Bendigo Health, Bendigo, Vic, Australia
  6. Goulburn Valley Health, Shepparton, Vic, Australia
  7. Andrew Love Cancer Centre, University Hospital , Geelong, VIC, Australia
  8. Cancer Trials Australia, Parkville, Vic, Australia

Aim

People with cancer living in regional Victoria are less likely to participate in a clinical trial than metropolitan patients.

Funded by Cancer Council Victoria (CCV) and Victorian Cancer Agency in 2018, a Regional Trials Network (RTNV) was established as a partnership between six Regional Clinical Trials Units and Cancer Trials Australia (CTA), to improve access and recruitment to high quality clinical trials conducted at Victorian regional sites.

Methods

6 regional sites joined the network with a catchment area of 141,000 km2 with a population of 1.4 million, and approximately 7,200 new cancer diagnoses each year.

 

The RTNV, in partnership with Cancer Trials

Australia, aimed to:

  • improve patient access and recruitment to high

quality cancer clinical trials;

  • increase the number of available cancer trials;
  • increase participation rates;
  • reduce duplication of effort;
  • improve the efficiency of clinical trial implementation in regional Victoria.
  • Implement COSA teletrial framework

 

This was achieved by building capacity of regional clinical trial units, investing in the capability of staff through a networked approach.

 

Results

In 2017, the CCV Clinical Trial Management Scheme (CTMS) recorded 1587 Victorians recruited to cancer clinical intervention trials. 428 resided in regional Victoria, but only 81 of these participated at a regional site.

 

By 2020, the number of recruiting clinical trials increased by 74.5% and the number of regional patients recruited to CTMS studies increased by 106%. Driven by uptake of teletrials and registry trials total recruitment increased to 475 patients.

 

 

Two additional sites have been added in 2021. RTNV leveraged ongoing funding to sustain core activity and was awarded $18.5 million from the Medical Research Future Fund to conduct health services research over the next 5 years.

 

Conclusion

The RTNV is a successful implementation of a regionally-based clinical trials network improving access and participation of regional patients.