The ACT-ONC Project: how we are building capacity to increase Allied Health Professionals engagement in clinical trials – a 3-year project at a large, regional public health service in Victoria.
Catherine Williams1 1Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Abstract
In response to the 2021 round of Clinical Trials Management Scheme Competitive Grants released by Cancer Council Victoria and the Victorian Cancer Agency, a team led by an allied health professional (AHP) submitted an application to establish the first, regional Allied Health-led Clinical Trials Unit, with a special focus on allied health clinical trials in cancer supportive care and survivorship (ACT-ONC Project). The application was one of three grants that were successfully awarded in the state.
The grant supports a 3-year project, examining the training and education needs of AHP’s to increase their engagement in clinical trials, their capacity to design and lead clinical trials, and will include investigating barriers and enablers. In response to this exploratory work, the investigators will be working closely with the partnering organisations to build custom training and education resources that will be housed on the Australian Clinical Trials Education Centre (A-CTEC) online Learning Management System, with open access to all AHP’s in Australia. The team is also working on building teletrial capacity, clinical trial competency frameworks for AHP’s (to support alignment under the new National Clinical Trials Governance Framework), and other resources to address the ways that AHP’s and consumers of cancer care engage with allied health clinical trials. This work will have broad reach throughout the AHP workforce and clinical areas.
This presentation will outline the origins of the idea for an Allied Health-led Clinical Trials Unit, the project elements that we have created so far, and what is planned for the future.
Biography
Catherine is a Senior Physiotherapist with a clinical focus in Oncology. She has lead the development of Barwon Health’s Oncology Rehabilitation service, and completed a successful 12-month pilot project investigating the feasibility of a Prehabilitation service for cancer patients. Catherine was awarded a $500,000 Clinical Trials Management Scheme Competitive Grant to lead a 3-year project to establish the first, regional Allied Health-led Clinical Trials Unit specialising in trials addressing cancer supportive care and survivorship needs (the ACT-ONC Project). She is passionate about clinician-led research and equity in exposure and opportunities for Allied Health Professionals.