Clinical trials are important to improve patient-focused care. They provide benefits to patients through comprehensive health screening, access to new interventions and enhanced clinical care.
The Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) serves some of Australia’s most remote communities, including the Torres Strait Islands, Cape York and the Northern Peninsula area. And they have reached a historical milestone, recruiting and enrolling their first-ever patient in a clinical trial under the Teletrial model. The ‘Symptom Monitoring with Feedback Trial’ (SWIFT) study focuses on improving the quality of life for haemodialysis patients by regularly assessing symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and anxiety.
In partnership with the University of Sydney, TCHHS’ Dr. Janelle Prunster and Caroline Laux have been coordinating local operations with support from the renal team and the Queensland Regional Clinical Trial Coordinating Centre (QRCCC).
This milestone represents a significant step forward in equity of access to clinical trial care, with the trial set to become available to patients in Bamaga, Cooktown and Weipa this year.
