Innovative clinical research: delivering trials in the community

This FORUM workshop will explore how to facilitate the uptake of decentralised and remote methods of trial delivery in the UK for the development of medicines.

The event will be co-chaired by Professor Paula Williamson FMedSci, Professor of Medical Statistics at the University of Liverpool and Professor Isla Mackenzie, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Dundee. It will be run in partnership with the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Research Delivery Network (NIHR RDN).

Decentralised and remote methods of clinical trial delivery involve some or all trial activities occurring at locations other than the main investigator site, for example in participant’s homes or local healthcare centres. Some of the significant challenges of running clinical trials include recruitment and the continued involvement of trial participants, high costs and slow set-up and timelines.

By overcoming geographical and travel barriers:

• Decentralised trials could reduce burden for trial participants
• Improved access and inclusivity can lead to increased recruitment and the continued participation of people in trials, enabling better reflection of real-world populations
• Decentralised trials could offer efficiencies including reduced site costs, streamlined set-up and timelines, and greater environmental sustainability
• When designed around the intervention and the needs and interests of trial participants, decentralised methods of delivery could help ensure that clinical trials are both pragmatic and patient-centred

This workshop will consider the different components of decentralised trial delivery for the development of drugs, including relevant opportunities and research gaps. Discussions will focus on how to better facilitate decentralised trials in the UK, while considering the needs of sponsors and trial teams, infrastructure and process requirements, and the needs and experiences of trial participants.

Participants will include experts from across sectors, including people with lived experience of participating in trials and representatives from across industry, regulation, healthcare, academia, government, charities and funding bodies.

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions about the event.

This workshop is part of the Academy’s FORUM programme, which brings together participants from different sectors and groups to meet and take forward national discussions on scientific opportunities, technology trends, and developments for healthcare.