Evaluation of the Australian Teletrials Program

Synopsis

Why the research project is important

There is an acknowledged and demonstrated benefit in improving patient participation in clinical trials. Accessing clinical trials is particularly difficult for people living in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. The Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) led the development and piloting of the Australasian Teletrial Model (ATM) to increase patient access to clinical trials using telehealth and satellite clinical trial sites.

What the research seeks to do

In 2020, Queensland Health (QH) was awarded $75M from the Medical Research Future Fund for large scale implementation of the ATM to accelerate clinical trial activity across regional, rural and remote Australia. This program is the Australian Teletrial Program (ATP). In 2022, QH contracted QUT and James Cook University to conduct a mixed-methods evaluation of the ATP.

What are the research outcomes/ impact

This study will evaluate the implementation, impact and sustainability of the ATP (including the four supporting pillars and supporting infrastructure) being implemented in six participating Australian state and territories over five years between 2021 to 2026. It will include the perspectives of stakeholders and will quantify and describe the key outcomes of the ATP.

In addition, the evaluation aims to identify opportunities for further refinement of the ATP and implementation activities and provide recommendations for sustainability planning.