pragmatic clinical trials

February 7, 2018: In New Video, Drs. Susan Huang and Gloria Coronado Give Advice to Pragmatic Trial Investigators

Posted on by Karen Staman

In the spring of 2018, the NIH Collaboratory will be welcoming a new set of NIH Collaboratory Trials and will help shepherd the new pragmatic trials through the piloting and implementation phases of their studies. In a new video in the Living Textbook, two of our seasoned principal investigators—Drs. Susan Huang and Gloria Coronado—give advice to the newcomers and other investigators new to conducting pragmatic trials.

Advice to New Pragmatic Trial Investigators from NIH Research Collaboratory on Vimeo.

“My greatest advice is to gain partners who are operational and have insight into particular areas—whether they be hospitals, or clinics, or nursing homes—who know about how they really work, how to best incorporate the intervention into workflow, how to get the right approvals, and how to get the best information technology support available to them.”—Susan Huang, MD

“One of the key things that we’ve received from being part of the Collaboratory—compared to an R01 grant—is the opportunity to interact across all of the institutes at NIH as well as learn about other projects that are working in pretty diverse health systems, including hospital systems, nursing homes, and dialysis centers.” —Gloria Coronado, PhD

October 11, 2017: New grant awarded to Dr. Jeffrey Jarvik and his team of investigators to promote pragmatic musculoskeletal clinical research

Posted on by Karen Staman

Congratulations to Dr. Jeffrey Jarvik and his colleagues at the University of Washington for their recent grant award to establish the Core Center for Clinical Research (CCCR). The initiative will promote pragmatic, multi-institutional clinical research on musculoskeletal conditions, such as the diagnosis and treatment of back pain. The new center—the UW Center for Clinical Learning, Effectiveness And Research (CLEAR)—will investigate the effectiveness of interventions such as imagining tests, physical therapy, opioids, spine injections, and spine surgery, as well as approaches for implementation.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) are funding the 5-year, $3.7 million initiative, which will include pragmatic and comparative effectiveness trials and Core groups, including:

  • The Methodology Core, led by Patrick J. Heagerty PhD, Chair of the Department of Biostatistics, and Sean Mooney PhD, Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Chief Research Information Officer
  • The Resource Core, led by Janna Friedly MD, Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, and Danielle Lavallee PharmD PhD, Research Associate Professor of Surgery

Dr. Jarvik is a Professor of Radiology at University of Washington and the Principal Investigator the Collaboratory NIH Collaboratory Trial, the Lumbar Imaging with Reporting of Epidemiology (LIRE) trial.

 

October 3, 2017: New Collaboratory Article Explores Data Sharing and Embedded Research

Posted on by Karen Staman

In an article published in Annals of Internal Medicine, authors from the NIH Collaboratory describe concerns and solutions regarding data sharing and embedded research. Pragmatic research embedded in health systems uses data from the electronic health record and comes from a fundamentally different context than explanatory trials, which collect research-specific data. Data from embedded research have the potential to do harm if taken out of context or used for comparisons. Therefore, while the authors enthusiastically support data sharing, they also recognize that mandating data sharing may discourage health systems from volunteering to participate in embedded research.

“In an ideal world of transparency regarding healthcare processes and outcomes, health systems would have no expectation of or need for privacy regarding quality of health care delivery.  But the current world is not perfect, and unintentional disclosures from participation in embedded research could be far greater than that required for public quality measures. Health systems volunteering to participate in research to improve public health may not be willing to bear the additional risk of misuse of sensitive information.” — Simon et al. Ann Intern Med

The authors use examples from the NIH Collaboratory Trials to illustrate potential solutions, and emphasize that data sharing plans for embedded research should be developed in partnership with health system leaders in ways that maximize the amount of data that can be shared while protecting patient privacy and healthcare system interests.

September 27, 2017: Charter Template for Data Monitoring Committees for Pragmatic Clinical Trials Now Available

Posted on by Gina Uhlenbrauck

Data monitoring committee templateThe NIH Collaboratory Regulatory/Ethics Core has published a charter template that can be used to help establish a data monitoring committee (DMC) and associated procedures appropriate for oversight of pragmatic clinical trials. DMCs play an important role in protecting the welfare of trial participants and ensuring the integrity of a trial so that it can yield useful results. A charter defines the primary responsibilities of a DMC, its membership, the purpose and timing of its meetings, and its procedures and statistical monitoring guidelines.

In addition to procedures and guidance for DMCs generally, this new charter template contains suggested practices specifically for DMCs for pragmatic clinical trials, such as the recommendation that at least one DMC member have prior experience in conducting and interpreting data from this type of trial.

The charter template can be downloaded and customized by organizations to set up DMCs for pragmatic clinical trials and clearly outline their operations. For more information on special considerations in data and safety monitoring for pragmatic clinical trials, please see the Data and Safety Monitoring Living Textbook chapter.

New Lessons Learned Document Draws on Experiences of NIH Collaboratory Trials

Posted on by Karen Staman

The NIH Collaboratory’s Health Care Systems Interactions Core has published a document entitled Lessons Learned from the NIH Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory Trials. The Principal Investigators of each of the NIH Collaboratory Trials shared their trial-specific experience with the Core to develop the document, which presents problems and solutions for initiation and implementation of pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs). Lessons learned are divided into the following categories: build partnerships, define clinically important questions, assess feasibility, involve stakeholders in study design, consider institutional review board and regulatory issues, and assess potential issues with biostatistics and the analytic plan.

Other tools available from the Health Care Systems Interactions Core include a guidance document entitled Considerations for Training Front-Line Staff and Clinicians on Pragmatic Clinical Trial Procedures and an introduction to PCTs slide set.

New Living Textbook Chapter on Acquiring and Using Electronic Health Record Data for Research

Posted on by Karen Staman

Topic ChaptersMeredith Nahm Zozus and colleagues from the NIH Collaboratory’s Phenotypes, Data Standards, and Data Quality Core (now the Electronic Health Records Core) have published a new Living Textbook chapter about key considerations for secondary use of electronic health record (EHR) data for clinical research.

In contrast to traditional randomized controlled clinical trials where data are prospectively collected, many pragmatic clinical trials use data that were primarily collected for clinical purposes and are secondarily used for research. The chapter describes the steps a prospective researcher will take to acquire and use EHR data:

  • Gain permission to use the data. When a prospective researcher wishes to use data, a data use agreement (DUA) is usually required that describes the purpose of the research and the proposed use of the data. This section also describes use of de-identified data and limited data sets.
  • Understand fundamental differences in context. Data collected in routine care settings reflect standard procedures at an individual’s healthcare facility, and are not collected in a standard, structured manner.
  • Assess the availability of health record data. Few assumptions can be made about what is available from an organization’s healthcare records; up-front, detailed discussions about data element collection over time at each facility is required.
  • Understand the available data. A secondary data user must understand both the data meaning and the data quality; both can vary greatly across organizations and affect a study’s ability to support research conclusions.
  • Identify populations and outcomes of interest. Because healthcare facilities are obligated to provide only the minimum necessary data to answer a research question, investigators must identify the needed patients and data elements with specificity and sensitivity to answer the research question given the available data.
  • Consider record linkage. Studies using data from multiple records and sources will require matching data to ensure they refer to the correct patient.
  • Manage the data. The investigator is responsible for receiving, managing, and processing data and must demonstrate that the data are reproducible and support research conclusions.
  • Archive and share the data after the study. Data may be archived and shared to ensure reproducibility, enable auditing for quality assurance and regulatory compliance, or to answer other questions about the research.

PCORnet Posts Aspirin Study Protocol for Public Review and Comment

Posted on by Gina Uhlenbrauck

PCORnetThe National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) has recently made a draft protocol for its first randomized clinical trial available for stakeholder review. Researchers, clinicians, patients and the public are all invited to read the current draft of the study protocol and provide comments and feedback.

The ADAPTABLE Study (PDF), which will investigate whether lower- or higher-dose aspirin is better for preventing heart attack and stroke in patients at risk for heart disease, is PCORnet’s first randomized pragmatic clinical trial. Designed to leverage PCORnet’s Clinical Data Research Networks (CDRNs) and Patient-Powered Research Networks (PPRNs), the trial will serve as twofold purpose: answering a clinical question of direct importance for patients, families, and healthcare providers, and serving as a demonstration of PCORnet’s capabilities in conducting clinical research on a national scale.

Links to the proposed study protocol, a survey tool for capturing feedback, and other information about ADAPTABLE Study, including press releases, fact sheets, and infographics, are available at the link below:

ADAPTABLE: The Aspirin Study

Follow PCORnet on Twitter @PCORnetwork for updates on the ADAPTABLE #ClinicalTrial

Groundbreaking Suicide Prevention Trial has Enrolled Initial Patients

Posted on by Karen Staman

March 5, 2015

Dr. Greg Simon and the Suicide Prevention Team have enrolled the first participants in the Pragmatic Trial of Population-Based Programs to Prevent Suicide Attempt. This groundbreaking study was developed by researchers at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, Washington, Health Partners Medical Group in Minnesota, and Kaiser Permanente of Colorado, in collaboration with patients who have experienced suicidal thoughts or survived suicide attempts themselves.

Over 9 million adults in the United States experience suicidal thoughts, and more than 1 million adults attempt suicide each year. However, patients at risk for suicidal behavior are not routinely identified, and successful interventions for depression and suicide are not routinely implemented. New evidence suggests that patients who report frequent thoughts of death or self-harm on a commonly-used depression questionnaire are at higher risk for suicide attempt and death over the following year.

This study aims to address the significant problem of suicide by identifying patients who are at risk for suicidal behavior and testing two suicide prevention strategies. Patients at participating institutions will complete a standard depression severity questionnaire during routine clinical care, and the results will be stored in their electronic health records (EHR). Investigators will use the responses in the EHR to identify at-risk individuals, and once identified, the patients will be randomly assigned to either usual care or to two treatment programs. The first is a collaborative care-management approach; the second is an online skills training program called “Now Matters Now,” which is designed to help people manage painful emotions and stressful situations.

Over the next 5 years, the team plans to enroll 19,500 adult patients. The study is an NIH Collaboratory Trial being overseen by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Congratulations to Dr. Simon and his team for their achievement!

 

Collaboratory Phenotypes, Data Standards, and Data Quality Core Releases Data Quality Assessment White Paper

Posted on by Gina Uhlenbrauck

The NIH Collaboratory’s Phenotypes, Data Standards, and Data Quality Core (now the Electronic Health Records Core) has released a new white paper on data quality assessment in the setting of pragmatic research. The white paper, titled Assessing Data Quality for Healthcare Systems Data Used in Clinical Research (V1.0) provides guidance, based on the best available evidence and practice, for assessing data quality in pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs) conducted through the Collaboratory. Topics covered include an overview of data quality issues in clinical research settings, data quality assessment dimensions (completeness, accuracy, and consistency), and a series of recommendations for assessing data quality. Also included as appendices are a set of data quality definitions and review criteria, as well as a data quality assessment plan inventory.

The full text of the document can be accessed through the “Tools for Research” tab on the Living Textbook or can be downloaded directly here (PDF).

PCORnet: “Not your father’s clinical trial network”

Posted on by Gina Uhlenbrauck

“PCORnet: Turning a Dream Into Reality,” an editorial published online this week in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, details the promises of the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet):

“Providing accurate answers based on the highest levels of scientific evidence for the majority of unresolved clinical questions is a revolutionary dream shared by patients, providers, payers, health plans, researchers, and policy makers alike. PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, promises a transformative platform that will turn this revolutionary dream into reality.”

The authors describe PCORnet’s patient-centered vision and how its transformative clinical research will be carried out through a national research network. This “network of networks” is designed to include a large, highly representative population. PCORnet will first work to establish data architecture and standards and address key policy questions, followed by the conduct of its first pragmatic clinical trial slated to begin in September 2015.

Editorial authors include NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, Kathy L. Hudson, PhD, and Josephine P. Briggs, MD.