3CTN’s 18 Month SAB Review: Summary and Recommendations for the Network
The SAB review process (see Figure 1) on the progress made in the first 18 months of 3CTN (April 2014 to September 2015) is complete.
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Figure 1 – SAB Review Process for 3CTN’s 18 month review.
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In last month’s Network Pulse, the 3CTN CC reported the face-to-face review meeting had taken place, and that it was a productive day full of interesting insights from the SAB members. Since that meeting on March 4th, the 3CTN CC has been provided with a summary of the findings from the SAB’s review:
- Congratulations are due to 3CTN’s leadership, the 3CTN CC and all Network sites for the achievements of the Network to date;
- A key focus of the Network for the next year should be recruitment to Portfolio trials, to achieve the ambitious recruitment increase targets across the Network;
- The 50 per cent recruitment increase by the end of the current mandate is an ambitious target given the challenges facing the Canadian academic trials landscape and should be seen as a “stretch target”;
- It is important to continue to support sites in the implementation of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) activities and, in particular, by helping share good examples of PPI influence and impact between Network sites.
Over the next few months, the 3CTN CC will work on implementing any actions items related to these high level recommendations. As per the current business plan, in June 2017 there will be a 36 month review of 3CTN’s activities, which will follow a similar process to this 18 month review.
Congratulations to all Network stakeholders on the successful completion of this major milestone in 3CTN’s lifecycle! All Network sites should be proud of their hard work and achievements to date and we look forward to reporting on future Network success as we all work towards an improved academic cancer clinical trial environment in Canada.
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3CTN’s Recruitment Workshop Recap
In March, 3CTN hosted a Recruitment Workshop, which brought together staff from Network sites across Canada. The main objective for the workshop was to help Network sites evaluate their local recruitment practices, as well as discuss recruitment successes and challenges with colleagues from other Canadian institutions. “I found the recruitment workshop to be very helpful”, said Jessalyn Warren, Clinical Research Coordinator at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “The presentations were thought provoking and sharing our experiences is really going to help my site as now I realize we can all work through similar recruitment challenges together”.
Based on the discussions with other sites and evaluating their ongoing practices, the attendees were asked to select one or two new recruitment tools/practices they plan to implement in an effort to increase local recruitment. To facilitate recruitment tool/practice selection, the Performance Strategy Team created and launched the "3CTN Recruitment Best Practices Inventory" at the workshop. Sites and staff that were not able to attend the workshop are asked to check out the Best Practices Inventory and the Performance Team will work to keep this ‘living document’ up to date as more tools become available.
In addition to selecting specific tools to launch at their respective sites, participants were also excited by the launch of 3CTN’s much anticipated "Ask Me Campaign". To mark the occasion, site staff were encouraged to don their new buttons and the “Ask Me” props to pose for a picture in the “Ask Me” photo booth (Figure 2). Stay tuned for more stories and updates in the Network Pulse as the “Ask Me” campaign rolls out nation-wide during April and May.
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Figure 2 – Some of the Recruitment Workshop attendees – deep in conversation or having fun in the “Ask Me” photobooth.
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Public and Patient Involvement
3CTN Continues to Support PPI Site-Level Activities
A key recommendation of the SAB’s 18 month review was for the 3CTN CC and the Lay Representative Advisory Committee (LRAC) to continue to support the roll out of PPI activities and roles across Network sites. To date, we have made the following tools and documents available to sites:
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- 3CTN PPI Website, which includes:
- PPI Toolkit for Site Staff
- PPI Toolkit for Lay Representatives
- PPI News - Updated Monthly and has open call to sites to share their local PPI activities and events
- 3CTN Guide to PPI
- Framework of Community Representation on Health Research Committees
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Further to these tools, this month 3CTN is releasing the new "PPI Reference Tool" and introducing the “Ask Me” Ambassador PPI role. Each of these new tools are intended to provide sites with concrete ways to incorporate PPI activities locally, especially for sites that might be struggling with way to adapt PPI to their local needs or goals.
- The PPI Reference Tool:This new tool has been added to the PPI Toolkit for Sites and is a “Cole’s notes” walkthrough of all the steps involved in developing and implementing a PPI role on local institutional committees. This tool also acts as across reference guide between the "PPI Framework" and the 3CTN PPI Guide so that site staff can quickly navigate relevant document sections that may help with each step of implementing a PPI role.
- Ask Me Ambassador PPI Role: Sites that are currently in the process of their local “Ask Me” roll out may wish to add the Ask Me Ambassador role to the roll out plan. This PPI role is covered in detail as part of the new PPI Reference Tool and represents a great opportunity for sites to involve local patients that may wish to act as trial advocates or peer mentors for new patients that are considering trial participation.
The 3CTN CC and LRAC continue to increase the number of tools available to sites to implement PPI activities which will allow the Network to leverage the positive impact of PPI on recruitment and other clinical trial activities. With this month’s new tools Network sites can unlock the value of PPI locally and then share their local success stories with the 3CTN CC.
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Check it Out!
3CTN is not the only clinical trials Network that values and supports PPI - check out this link for the PPI Toolkit created by the Clinical Research Network (CRN) in the United Kingdom.
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Feature Trial:
MENAC
A Randomised, Open-label Trial of a Multimodal Intervention (Exercise, Nutrition and Anti-inflammatory Medication) Plus Standard Care Versus Standard Care Alone to Prevent/Attenuate Cachexia in Advanced Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy.
Sponsor: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
NCT#: NCT02330926
Significance: The primary objective of this study is to prevent the development of cachexia and/or to attenuate participants with cachexia. From a participant perspective a short term effect will be to improve physical and psychological function, to reduce symptom burden and to improve survival. In other words live a longer and better life during and after chemotherapy. This study will comparing a multimodal intervention (oral nutritional supplements, dietary support, ibuprofen and physical exercise) and standard cancer care versus standard cancer care alone.
Canadian Sites open to recruitment:
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa
- Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton
- The Jewish General, Montreal
Open to additional Canadian Sites: No
Current number enrolled: To open in April
Target Recruitment: 240 (Global), 60 (Canada)
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What's new with EDGE?
Recent progress updates are as follows:
- Two pilot organizations, BC Cancer Agency and the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, are making good progress. Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior went live date as the first site on March 31, 2016;.
- More sites are ready to start EDGE roll out: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at Kingston General Hospital, Lakeridge Health, RSM Durham Regional Cancer Centre, and London Health Sciences Centre;
- 3CTN CC is reviewing the project plans for these sites in April 2016 and will conduct the administrative training in May 2016 with the sites that have a signed the agreement;.
- 3CTN CC is working closely with EDGE UK for further development of the system to meet the needs of Canadian sites.
For more information on EDGE, contact Rebecca Xu or visit the 3CTN website.
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