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| Professor Bill Sievert |
International
Clinical Trials Day is recognised as the day that James Lind started a study to
determine the cause of scurvy - the first recorded controlled clinical trial.
Since then International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world to
raise awareness of the importance of clinical trials and research in healthcare.
In 2017, there were
3762 participants actively enrolled in 391 clinical trials at Monash Health.
Clinical trials are a major component of Monash Health’s research profile and
present an opportunity for consumers to access the latest technology and better
resources.
The Clinical Trials
Open Forum was a great opportunity for Nurses, Doctors and Research Staff from
Monash Health, Monash University and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research
to share their experiences from past and present clinical trials, and listen to
the incredible stories of patients who have participated in clinical trials at
Monash Health.
Professor William
Sievert, Director of the Gastrointestinal
and Liver Unit at Monash Health, hosted the forum, where a series of guest
speakers presented.
Glenda, a patient who
participated in a clinical trial involving haemodialysis, shared her experience
and expressed her appreciation for the support she received from Jo Nandkumar,
Clinical Research Nurse at the Department of Nephrology, who also spoke about
her role as a clinical trials nurse at Monash Health.
Dr Emily Kotschet,
Investigator and Cardiologist at Monash Heart, demonstrated the role that an
Investigator plays in clinical trials, while Erin Hill, Clinical Trials
Coordinator for the Paediatric, Diabetic and Endocrinology Fund, shared how the
patient experience is different for children participating in clinical
trials.
Debbie Dell, Manager
at the Human Research Ethics Committee, spoke about her role in shaping the
Ethics Committee at Monash Health, and the importance of protecting the
interests of both patients and researchers in clinical trials.
Tessy Thomas,
Clinical Trials Centre Research Nurse, explained how she became a clinical
trials nurse, the various challenges she has encountered and the difference her
role has made in our patient’s lives.
The highlight of the
forum was a presentation by Effie Atkins, a patient who participated in a
clinical trial for cancer treatment at the Monash Health Translation Precinct.
She gave an inspiring speech about the impact this treatment has had on
improving her quality of life, successfully shrinking the size of her tumour
and giving her the opportunity to look forward to a bright future ahead.
This experience
inspired Effie to create the Dr Hope Foundation, which has raised over $80,000
to employ an additional Doctor and expand participant numbers in clinical
cancer trials at Monash Health!
To learn more about
Effie’s incredible journey and help support the Dr Hope Foundation, please visit
her Facebook Page.
A lovely afternoon
tea was provided after the forum, followed by an exciting tour of the Clinical
Trials Centre at the Monash Health Translational Precinct.
Thank you to Cheryl
Coleman, Clinical Trials Centre Manager, for organising this fantastic
event.
A special thank you
to all the Nurses, Doctors, Research Staff and patients at Monash Health who
dedicate their lives to the development of new treatments and advancement of
medical research.
Story courtesy of Monash Health Public Relations
Story courtesy of Monash Health Public Relations
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