Every Monday from 1pm – 2pm notable cancer researchers, clinicians, nurses and other experts from around the globe share their insights, research or news on a broad range of topics at the VCCC Alliance Monday Lunch Live forum.

The following area contains all our recordings from 2020. 

Adopting The Teletrials Model For Safe Trial Delivery

Monday Lunch Livestream

With Associate Professor Ian Collins, Professor Save Sabesan, Kathleen Wilkins, Dr Craig Underhill, Cheryl-Ann Hawkins and Melanie Poxton

11 May 2020

Increasing equity of care and providing easier access to cancer clinical trials

Physical distancing practices have accelerated alternative approaches to the care of patients with cancer, highlighting sustainable opportunities for future provision of cancer services in Victoria.

Cancer clinical trials are also experiencing a delivery revolution; adopting the teletrial model to implement trials across multiple sites.

Latest data, derived from the Victorian COVID-19 Cancer Network’s (VCCN) Telehealth Expert Group, reveals 100 per cent of Victoria’s health services are now using telehealth for cancer care, with 76 per cent of respondents having access to online software and 24 per cent via telephone.

Creating partnerships across multiple sites

Telehealth is a method that uses digital platforms to conduct a single site clinical trial. Teletrials is a model that enables the implementation of a clinical trial across multiple sites, through a partnership between a primary site and satellite sites.

In this VCCC webinar, Associate Professor Ian Collins, Medical Oncologist, South West Oncology and Deputy Regional Oncology Lead, VCCC is joined by Professor Sabe Sabesan, Oncologist, Townsville Hospital and Health Service to talk about national teletrial activity; and consumer, Kathleen Wilkins on the impact of the teletrial model on a regional patient.

How to implement the teletrial model

Capitalising on the COSA Australasian Tele-trial Model, released in 2016, the VCCC has launched teletrial resources and an online training module for Victorian-specific operational use of the model. Take up of the resources, combined with telehealth expansion, has been encouraging, including an implementation of a teletrial partnership between Alfred Health and the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Also in the forthcoming webinar, Dr Craig Underhill, Medical Oncologist from Border Medical Oncology and VCCC Regional Oncology Lead will moderate a discussion with Alfred Health Clinical Research Manager Medical Oncology, Cheryl-Ann Hawkins and Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Clinical Trials Nurse Unit Manager, Melanie Poxton on the benefits and challenges of implementing the teletrial model.