Why Trials managers are
Important
Peter Davidson
Director NETSCC, HTA
The HTA programme
NHS
HTA
programme
Research
community
• Ensuring that high quality information about the costs,
effectiveness and broader impact of health technologies is
produced in the most efficient way for those who use, provide
care in, make policy for and manage the NHS
Successful trials
►Relevant
►Trustworthy
►Clearly reported
►Timely
►Value for money
►safe for participants
BMJ Paper
of the Year
2011
CRASH2
Stages in a trial
►Planning and design
►Application for funding
►Conducting the trial
►Analysis
►Reporting
Stages in a trial
►Planning and design
►Application for funding
►Conducting the trial
►Analysis
►Reporting
Managers are important to all these
Vital contributions
►Project management
►Balancing resources, specification and timetable
►Skills in delivering trials
►Folk knowledge
►Experience of overcoming difficulties
►Professional approach to regulatory environment
►Attitude
Design stage
►Deliverability
►Accurate estimation
►Timetable
►Costs and resources
►Specific design features
►Setting for recruitment
►Incentives
►documentation
Design into conduct
►Feasibility and pilot studies
►Designing for clear objectives
►Learning
►Using results to modify main study
Conduct stage
►Approvals
►Site set-up and management
►Managing people
►Employed
►Associated
►Senior investigators
►Managing resources
►Communication with funder
Later stages
►Continue to manage as part of the project
►Resources
►Individual contribution
►Transfer of care beyond the trial
►Ensure outputs are delivered
►Reporting lessons from the management of the
trial
Challenges and hopes
► Complexity of the environment
► End-to-end contribution
► Delegation
► Having a voice
► More recognition
► More trial managers as grant applicants
► Better partnership
► Equal opportunities
Thank you
►For listening
►For managing so many successful trials
And thereby improving the health of the
population
www.netscc.ac.uk
www.hta.ac.uk