Remote Research Practices Enhance Acute Stroke Clinical Trial Enrollment (original) (raw)
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Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 2020
Background: Because "time is brain," acute stroke trials are migrating to the prehospital setting. The impact upon enrollment in post-arrival trials of earlier recruitment in a prehospital trial requires delineation. Methods: We analyzed all patients recruited into acute and prevention stroke trials during an 8year period when an academic medical center (AMC) was participating in a prehospital treatment trial-the NIH Field Administration of Stroke Treatment-Magnesium (FAST-MAG) study. Results: During the study period, in addition to FAST-MAG, the AMC participated in 33 postarrival stroke trials: 27 for acute cerebral ischemia, one for intracerebral hemorrhage, and 5 secondary prevention trials. Throughout the study period, the AMC was recruiting for at least 3 concurrent post-arrival acute trials. Among 199 patients enrolled in acute stroke trials, 98 (49%) were in FAST-MAG and 101 (51%) in concurrent, post-arrival acute trials. Among FAST-MAG patients, 67% were not eligible for any concurrent acute, post-arrival trial. Of 134 patients eligible for post-arrival acute trials, 101 (76%) were enrolled in post-arrival trials and 32 (24%) in FAST-MAG. Leading reasons FAST-MAG patients were ineligible for post-arrival acute trials were: NIHSS too low (23.4%), intracranial hemorrhage (17.9%), IV tPA used in standard management (9.0%), NIHSS too high (7.1%), and age too high (5.2%). Conclusions: A prehospital hyperacute stroke trial with wide entry criteria reduced only modestly, by one-fourth, enrollment into concurrently active, post-arrival stroke trials. Simultaneous performance of prehospital and post-arrival acute and secondary prevention stroke trials in research networks is feasible.
Development, expansion, and use of a stroke clinical trials resource for novel exploratory analyses
International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society, 2012
Analysis of reliable registry data can direct future research to influence clinical care. Data from the Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive have been used to test hypotheses and inform trial design. We sought to expand Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive into a broader stroke resource with new opportunities for research and international collaboration. Using procedures initially developed for an acute stroke trial archive, we invited trialists to lodge data on rehabilitation, secondary prevention, intracerebral haemorrhage, imaging, and observational stroke studies. We have extended Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive into six subsections: Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive-Acute (n = 28 190 patients' data), Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive-Rehab (n = 10 194), Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive-intracerebral haemorrhage (n = 1829), Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive-Prevention, Virtual International Stroke Trials Arch...
Topics in stroke rehabilitation, 2015
There is a shortage of published empirical studies conducted in acute inpatient stroke rehabilitation, though such studies are greatly needed in order to shed light on the most efficacious inpatient stroke rehabilitation interventions. The inherent challenges of inpatient research may dissuade researchers from undertaking this important work. This paper describes our institution's experience devising practical solutions to research barriers in this setting. Through concentrated efforts to overcome research barriers, such as by cultivating collaborative relationships and capitalizing on unanticipated benefits, we successfully facilitated conduct of five simultaneous inpatient stroke studies. Tangible benefits realized include increased effectiveness of research participant identification and enrollment, novel collaborative projects, innovative clinical care initiatives, and enhanced emotional and practical support for patients and their families. We provide recommendations based ...
Who will participate in acute stroke trials?
Neurology, 2009
Background: Despite the high incidence of acute stroke, only a minority of patients are enrolled in acute stroke treatment trials. We aimed to identify factors associated with participation in clinical trials of novel therapeutic agents for acute stroke.
Cerebrovascular Diseases Extra
Background and Purpose: Subject retention into clinical trials is vital, and prehospital enrollment may be associated with higher rates of subject withdrawal than more traditional methods of enrollment. We describe rates of subject retention in a prehospital trial of acute stroke therapy. Methods: All subjects were enrolled into the NIH Field Administration of Stroke Therapy-Magnesium (FAST-MAG) phase 3 clinical trial. Paramedics screened eligible subjects and contacted the physician-investigator using a dedicated in-ambulance cellular phone. Physician-investigators obtained explicit informed consent from the subject or on-scene legally authorized representative (LAR) who reviewed and signed a consent form. Exception from informed consent (EFIC) was utilized in later stages of the study. Results: There were 1,700 subjects enrolled; 1,017 provided consent (60%), 662 were enrolled via LAR (39%), and 21 were enrolled via EFIC (1%). Of the 1,700 patients, 1,413 (83%) completed the 90-da...
Issues in recruiting community-dwelling stroke survivors to clinical trials: The AMBULATE trial
Contemporary Clinical Trials, 2010
Background: Recruitment to clinical trials is often slow and difficult, with a growing body of research examining this issue. However there is very little work related to stroke. Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the success and efficiency of recruitment of community-dwelling stroke survivors over the first two years of a clinical trial aiming to improve community ambulation. Method: Recruitment strategies fell into 2 broad categories: (i) advertisement (such as newspaper advertising and media releases), and (ii) referral (via hospital and community physiotherapists, a stroke liaison officer and other researchers). Records were kept of the number of people who were screened, were eligible and were recruited for each strategy. Results: The recruitment target of 60 in the first two years was not met. 111 stroke survivors were screened and 57 were recruited (i.e., a recruitment rate of 51%). The most successful strategy was referral via hospital-based physiotherapists (47% of recruited participants) and the least successful were media release and local newspaper advertising. The referral strategies were all more efficient than any of the advertisement strategies.
Benefits of stroke treatment delivered using a mobile stroke unit trial
International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society, 2017
Rationale Mobile stroke units speed treatment for acute ischemic stroke, thereby possibly improving outcomes. Aim To compare mobile stroke unit and standard management clinical outcomes, healthcare utilization, and cost-effectiveness in tissue plasminogen activator-eligible acute ischemic stroke patients calling 911. Sample size 693. Eighty percent power with 0.05 type I error rate to detect a difference of 0.09 in mean utility-weighted modified Rankin scale between groups. Design Phase III, multicenter, prospective cluster-randomized (mobile stroke unit versus standard management weeks) comparative effectiveness study in tissue plasminogen activator-eligible patients. Outcomes Primary: Ninety-day mean utility-weighted modified Rankin scale. Coprimary: cost-effectiveness based on EQ5D quality of life and one year poststroke costs. Analysis Two-sample t-test and linear regression adjusting for covariates; incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and net benefit regression. Results As of ...
Journal of vascular and interventional neurology, 2014
Enrollment of subjects in acute stroke trials is often hindered by narrow timeframes, because a large proportion of patients arrive via transfers from outside facilities rather than primary arrival at the enrolling hospital. Telemedicine networks have been increasingly used for provision of care for acute stroke patients at facilities outside of major academic centers. Treatment decisions made through telemedicine networks in patients with acute ischemic stroke have been shown to be safe, reliable, and effective. With the expanding use of this technology and the impediments to enrolling subjects into clinical trials, this approach can be applied successfully to the field of clinical research. The Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage II trial is a phase III randomized multicenter trial that has developed a protocol in collaboration with participating sites to implement the use of telemedicine networks for the enrollment of research subjects. The protocol describes ...
Efficiency of Enrollment in a Successful Phase II Acute Stroke Clinical Trial
Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 2012
Background: Recruitment challenges are common in acute stroke clinical trials. In a population-based study, we determined eligibility and actual enrollment for a successful, phase II acute stroke clinical trial. We hypothesized that missed opportunities for enrollment of eligible patients occurred frequently, despite the success of the trial.