ReCAP: Clinical Trial Assessment of Infrastructure Matrix Tool to Improve the Quality of Research Conduct in the Community [CLINICAL RESEARCH PRACTICES]

QUESTION ASKED: Is there a tool for sites engaged in cancer clinical research to use to assess their infrastructure and improve their research conduct toward exemplary levels of performance beyond the standard of Good Clinical Practice (GCP)? SUMMARY ANSWER: The NCI Community Cancer Center Program (NCCCP) sites, with NCI Clinical Trial advisor input, created a "Clinical Trials Best Practice Matrix" self-assessment tool to assess research infrastructure. The tool identified nine attributes (eg, physician engagement in clinical trials, accrual activity, clinical trial portfolio diversity), each with three progressive levels (I – III) for sites to score infrastructural elements from less (I) to more (III) exemplary. For example, a level-one site might have active Phase III treatment trials in two to three disease sites and review their portfolio diversity once a year, whereas a level-three site has active Phase II and also Phase I or I/II trials across five or more disease sites and reviews their portfolio quarterly. The tool also provided a road map toward more exemplary practices. METHODS: From 2011 to 2013, 21 NCCCP sites self-assessed their programs with the tool annually. Sites reported significant increases in level III (more exemplary) scores across the original nine attributes combined (P < .001 [see Figure 1]). During 2013 to 2014, NCI collaborators conducted a five-step formative evaluation of the tool resulting in expansion of attributes from nine to 11 and...
Source: Journal of Oncology Practice - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Quality, Attributes of Exemplary Research, Organization CLINICAL RESEARCH PRACTICES Source Type: research