With decentralised trials known worldwide, General Manager of Research and Partnerships at Latrobe Regional Health Dr Jhodie Duncan says teletrials are the safety mechanism for patients within the Australian landscape.
Dr Duncan says teletrials not only allow access to care closer to home but provide the opportunity for local staff to develop their skills while managing the clinical trial under the supervision of a Primary Investigator. This saves patients travelling hundreds of kilometres and lets them stay in their care community for treatment, saves sponsors paying for travel, transport, and overnight stays and builds capacity and capability at regional, rural and remote services.
But Dr Duncan says we need more global sponsors to champion teletrials, because there is more education required to fully understand the benefits.
Dr Duncan cautions that in the current landscape, at least within Victoria, teletrials will not mean faster startups, less workload, or more significant financial gain. They do however offer greater recruitment and diversity. Two recent teletrials have had recruitment at the satellite site at or higher than the primary site. She says working with sponsors and CROs improves the teletrial model if they can work within site capabilities, are creative, adaptable and willing to learn.
Dr Duncan uses the example of a committed Sponsor who worked tirelessly to help their global team understand the benefits of adapting normal processes to deliver drugs direct to the satellite site, including the team joining late night calls to Europe.
