Introducing Global Health Trials - your online specialist professional network

1. Introducing Global Health Trials - your online specialist professional network Liam Boggs The Global Health NetworkUniversity of OxfordCentre for Clinical Vaccinology & Tropical Medicine

2. Who we are…. Global Health Trials is a free and open access collaborative programme to support clinical trials in developing countries. The Aim…. To establish a mechanism for everyone working on clinical trials to have access to guidance, tools, resources, training – and each other What we have achieved… The site was released in May 2010. There are currently 35,000 unique visitors from over 140 developing countries using this platform. Over 20% of these have visited the site over 50 times!

3. Why is this needed and how does it work? • There is  far too limited access to clinical research skills training in developing countries • There are initiatives providing clinical trial training • Few trial steps, processes, methods or issues are truly specific to one disease • Currently there is not adequate skills and knowledge training in LMIC • There is a need for more disease management trials to address local questions • Global Health Trials works by knowledge and methods sharing across disease areas, staff roles and geographic regions

4. Features of Global Health Trials • Member Profile and Connect Together system • Discussion forums and blogs • Guidance articles, tools and resources • Regional faculties • E-learning • Professional membership scheme • Bookmarks, events and opportunities Why we think it is working • All regions, all staff roles – ALL DISEASE AREAS • Clear, clean and professional-looking space designed around the concept of encouraging a community • Neutral, democratic – not belonging or located in any one institution; modeled on the Cochrane Group

6. Groups Topics Discussion Community Discussion Groups

7. Blogs are also very popular and help research groups find help and support

8. Guidance articles are a core element. These provide explanatory notes alongside all the necessary tools such as templates and examples

11. e-Learning Centre • Most steps, processes and issues are the same • Cross cutting ‘how-to’ skills training for all roles of staff, all disease areas and all regions • Simple concept of taking good face to face courses and adapting them into e-learning material • Sharing training material • Our philosophy is quite simple…. • - Take these great training resources you have all developed and share them by creating e-learning courses!

12. e-Learning Short Courses Introduction to Clinical Research ICH Good Clinical Practice Course Setting the Research Question The Research Protocol: Part one The Research Protocol: Part two Data Safety Monitoring Boards for Clinical Trials Introduction to Consent Introduction to Data Management For Clinical Research Studies Introduction to Collecting and Reporting Adverse Events in Clinical Research

13. e-Learning Short Courses Innocent Mbuagbaw

14. e-Seminars are available in both audio (MP3) and video (MP4) and are delivered by experienced clinical trial researchers

16. Career Development Scheme – Why is this needed? • A formal record of professional skills and experience is common in other careers • In Europe and the US medical research is a recognised professional career • In developing countries this often goes unrecognised and unrewarded • All types of clinical research studies need a range of staff in order to produce an ethical and valid study. • All staff involved need to be valued for their role and responsibilities • Guidance and training to develop skills and careers • We need to better support, develop and retain trial staff

17. The Professional Membership Scheme • Bill & Melinda Gates funded partnership between GHT & WHO/UN-TDR • Professional membership for all levels of clinical research staff. • This scheme increases professional recognition and tracks development • It is free, comprehensive, validated and high quality • Good for sites – provides a mechanism for staff review • Good for individuals – provides own record and highly motivational

18. Steps involved in awarding a professional membership 1. Build CV 5. CPD as part of daily work 2. Fill in Core Competencies 3. Fill in other CPD Points 4. Moderation

19. Features of the Professional Membership Scheme: • Creates awareness that this is a valid career path with wide opportunities • Provides feedback and recognition • Allows researchers to identify appropriate and targeted training opportunities • Audited and moderated (annual review) for quality and validity • Information very secure • Professional looking CV and training record. • Helps research study leaders and institutions support, manage and develop their staff

20. Global Health Trials is engaging and supporting researchers Job roles of members Professional Memberships Scheme members: 170 E-Learning Courses Taken: 1341 Most visits from LMIC

23. The Trial Initiation Participatory Process Map

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25. To summarise: • We could all help each other by sharing our successes • Solutions to most trial challenges can be applied globally • We need to increase access to training and knowledge • We need to be better at supporting ALL our trial staff Please register – please get involved! www.globalhealthtrials.org Acknowlegements: Jeremy Farrar, Rosanna Peeling, Kevin Marsh, Tracy Chantler, Sam Franzen, Tamzin Furtado, Nicola McHugh, Francois Van Loggerenburg, Trudie Lang The Global Health Network is funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation