Clinical Research focus
The next issue of CRfocus will be a
combined July/August issue, published at the end of July. This will contain reports from selected sessions at April's ICR Annual Conference.
ICR members can download entire issues from our new
eCRfocus service [login required].In future, we hope to offer you the option to help the planet by opting to receive online-only access to CRfocus.
In this month’s issue, Tanya Palmer and Jan Robinson report from an ICR Project Management forum on the
different technologies available to underpin clinical project management, asking how we decide what is appropriate for a given study.
Also in this issue, Joanna Nelley gives you a sneak preview of a
“Great Debate” planned by the ICR Resourcing Special Interest Group for the Autumn, with senior panellists from industry and the NHS discussing the future position of the UK in the global clinical trials marketplace.
I also
review the autobiography of Michael Baum, a renowned oncologist and surgeon who has been close to many of the ground-breaking developments in the treatment of breast cancer over the past 40 years.
In this month's issue, we prepare for the outcome of the UK General Election by examining what the three major parties have said that could impact on clinical research, and put them into context. ICR Fellows were also invited to give their opinions, and in a stop-press section written as the election results were being announced, we discuss the possible consequences of a hung parliament and coalition government. We also lament the continuing decrease in the number of MPs with training in science or medicine.
Also in this issue, Debbie Beirne presents a case study on assessing the mix of skills throughout the staff in a clinical research site, and concludes that a wider range of support staff can enable research nurses to be more effective in adding value to clinical trials. Julia DeCesare presents discussions from the latest ICR GCP & Ethics Forum, with a panel including a CRA, a researcg nurse, a pharmacist and an auditor. Adriana Grosman highlights the problem with "quick fixes" at individual monitoring visits as opposed to root cause analyses and systematic solutions, and suggests how coaching can help site teams to make long-lasting improvements in their own performance.
Finally, Debbie Early reviews a book on "Becoming a Successful Clinical Trial Investigator", and we welcome back our lighthearted section "It's not all work, work, work..."
About CRfocus
Clinical Research focus (CRfocus) is ICR's peer-reviewed journal, published every month. CRfocus publishes authoritative articles to keep readers up to date with best practice, and develop their careers. Members of ICR receive CRfocus free of charge; non-members can subscribe for £135 per year
