Colene Bentley , Helen McTaggart-Cowan , Diana Kato , Stephen Sundquist , Janet E. Dancey , Stuart Peacock
{"title":"评价加拿大临床试验远程访问框架(CRAFT)试点:一项定性研究","authors":"Colene Bentley , Helen McTaggart-Cowan , Diana Kato , Stephen Sundquist , Janet E. Dancey , Stuart Peacock","doi":"10.1016/j.hlpt.2025.101031","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Clinical trials provide opportunities for patients to access novel diagnostic screening, treatment, and supportive care options. Trial access is limited for many Canadians due to distribution and distance from cancer centres with clinical trials. In 2021-23, the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) was implemented as a proof of concept (PoC) pilot to reduce these inequities by bringing trial opportunities to patients living outside metropolitan areas. CRAFT involves a “primary” site that delegates specific trial responsibilities to regional “satellite” centres to form a “trial cluster.” Our objective was to evaluate the CRAFT pilot implemented in three Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, and Newfoundland.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We recruited healthcare professionals participating in the PoC at primary and satellites locations. Using a framework with deductive and inductive codes, two researchers independently analyzed the interview data applying principles of constant comparison. Disagreements were settled by consensus.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Thirteen one-on-one interviews were conducted with participants from British Columbia (n=4), Ontario (n=6), and Newfoundland (n=3). Participants endorsed CRAFT as means to improve equitable access to experimental therapies for underserved populations; upskill regional healthcare teams; integrate satellites with primary sites; and re-envision future trial delivery. Challenges included responsibilities for contract review and approvals at smaller centres and coordinating research services and senior management support across sites.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Healthcare teams endorsed CRAFT to improve equitable access to trials and grow research capacity. A follow-up workshop of all relevant parties in March 2025 addressed needed improvements in research, technology, and governance infrastructure to scale CRAFT to new jurisdictions.</div></div><div><h3>Public Interest Summary</h3><div>Clinical trials create opportunities for patients to access new and innovative approaches to treatment, and clinical trial activity has been reported to improve health system performance. However, patients living in rural and remote regions face barriers to trial participation, including financial, time, and health costs to travel to trials in metropolitan centres. Decentralizing clinical trial delivery, where some trial-related activities take place in regional hospitals, can help mitigate these inequities. This study evaluated a pilot demonstration of the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) in oncology in three Canadian provinces in 2021-2023, from the perspectives of healthcare professionals participating in the pilot. The framework was endorsed by healthcare professionals to help reduce inequities in trial access and grow research capacity. Study findings show better infrastructure support (e.g., contract review, IT integration) and regulatory support (e.g., lowering barriers between health authorities) are needed to link community hospitals with the primary trial site. Clinical trials offices familiar with decentralized processes are also needed to scale the model to other provinces and diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48672,"journal":{"name":"Health Policy and Technology","volume":"14 5","pages":"Article 101031"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Evaluation of the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) Pilot: a Qualitative Study\",\"authors\":\"Colene Bentley , Helen McTaggart-Cowan , Diana Kato , Stephen Sundquist , Janet E. Dancey , Stuart Peacock\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.hlpt.2025.101031\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Clinical trials provide opportunities for patients to access novel diagnostic screening, treatment, and supportive care options. Trial access is limited for many Canadians due to distribution and distance from cancer centres with clinical trials. In 2021-23, the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) was implemented as a proof of concept (PoC) pilot to reduce these inequities by bringing trial opportunities to patients living outside metropolitan areas. CRAFT involves a “primary” site that delegates specific trial responsibilities to regional “satellite” centres to form a “trial cluster.” Our objective was to evaluate the CRAFT pilot implemented in three Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, and Newfoundland.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We recruited healthcare professionals participating in the PoC at primary and satellites locations. Using a framework with deductive and inductive codes, two researchers independently analyzed the interview data applying principles of constant comparison. Disagreements were settled by consensus.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Thirteen one-on-one interviews were conducted with participants from British Columbia (n=4), Ontario (n=6), and Newfoundland (n=3). Participants endorsed CRAFT as means to improve equitable access to experimental therapies for underserved populations; upskill regional healthcare teams; integrate satellites with primary sites; and re-envision future trial delivery. Challenges included responsibilities for contract review and approvals at smaller centres and coordinating research services and senior management support across sites.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Healthcare teams endorsed CRAFT to improve equitable access to trials and grow research capacity. A follow-up workshop of all relevant parties in March 2025 addressed needed improvements in research, technology, and governance infrastructure to scale CRAFT to new jurisdictions.</div></div><div><h3>Public Interest Summary</h3><div>Clinical trials create opportunities for patients to access new and innovative approaches to treatment, and clinical trial activity has been reported to improve health system performance. However, patients living in rural and remote regions face barriers to trial participation, including financial, time, and health costs to travel to trials in metropolitan centres. Decentralizing clinical trial delivery, where some trial-related activities take place in regional hospitals, can help mitigate these inequities. This study evaluated a pilot demonstration of the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) in oncology in three Canadian provinces in 2021-2023, from the perspectives of healthcare professionals participating in the pilot. The framework was endorsed by healthcare professionals to help reduce inequities in trial access and grow research capacity. Study findings show better infrastructure support (e.g., contract review, IT integration) and regulatory support (e.g., lowering barriers between health authorities) are needed to link community hospitals with the primary trial site. Clinical trials offices familiar with decentralized processes are also needed to scale the model to other provinces and diseases.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":48672,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Health Policy and Technology\",\"volume\":\"14 5\",\"pages\":\"Article 101031\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":3.7000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-05-13\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Health Policy and Technology\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211883725000590\",\"RegionNum\":3,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"HEALTH POLICY & SERVICES\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Health Policy and Technology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211883725000590","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"HEALTH POLICY & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
Evaluation of the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) Pilot: a Qualitative Study
Objectives
Clinical trials provide opportunities for patients to access novel diagnostic screening, treatment, and supportive care options. Trial access is limited for many Canadians due to distribution and distance from cancer centres with clinical trials. In 2021-23, the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) was implemented as a proof of concept (PoC) pilot to reduce these inequities by bringing trial opportunities to patients living outside metropolitan areas. CRAFT involves a “primary” site that delegates specific trial responsibilities to regional “satellite” centres to form a “trial cluster.” Our objective was to evaluate the CRAFT pilot implemented in three Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, and Newfoundland.
Methods
We recruited healthcare professionals participating in the PoC at primary and satellites locations. Using a framework with deductive and inductive codes, two researchers independently analyzed the interview data applying principles of constant comparison. Disagreements were settled by consensus.
Results
Thirteen one-on-one interviews were conducted with participants from British Columbia (n=4), Ontario (n=6), and Newfoundland (n=3). Participants endorsed CRAFT as means to improve equitable access to experimental therapies for underserved populations; upskill regional healthcare teams; integrate satellites with primary sites; and re-envision future trial delivery. Challenges included responsibilities for contract review and approvals at smaller centres and coordinating research services and senior management support across sites.
Conclusions
Healthcare teams endorsed CRAFT to improve equitable access to trials and grow research capacity. A follow-up workshop of all relevant parties in March 2025 addressed needed improvements in research, technology, and governance infrastructure to scale CRAFT to new jurisdictions.
Public Interest Summary
Clinical trials create opportunities for patients to access new and innovative approaches to treatment, and clinical trial activity has been reported to improve health system performance. However, patients living in rural and remote regions face barriers to trial participation, including financial, time, and health costs to travel to trials in metropolitan centres. Decentralizing clinical trial delivery, where some trial-related activities take place in regional hospitals, can help mitigate these inequities. This study evaluated a pilot demonstration of the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) in oncology in three Canadian provinces in 2021-2023, from the perspectives of healthcare professionals participating in the pilot. The framework was endorsed by healthcare professionals to help reduce inequities in trial access and grow research capacity. Study findings show better infrastructure support (e.g., contract review, IT integration) and regulatory support (e.g., lowering barriers between health authorities) are needed to link community hospitals with the primary trial site. Clinical trials offices familiar with decentralized processes are also needed to scale the model to other provinces and diseases.
期刊介绍:
Health Policy and Technology (HPT), is the official journal of the Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine (FPM), a cross-disciplinary journal, which focuses on past, present and future health policy and the role of technology in clinical and non-clinical national and international health environments.
HPT provides a further excellent way for the FPM to continue to make important national and international contributions to development of policy and practice within medicine and related disciplines. The aim of HPT is to publish relevant, timely and accessible articles and commentaries to support policy-makers, health professionals, health technology providers, patient groups and academia interested in health policy and technology.
Topics covered by HPT will include:
- Health technology, including drug discovery, diagnostics, medicines, devices, therapeutic delivery and eHealth systems
- Cross-national comparisons on health policy using evidence-based approaches
- National studies on health policy to determine the outcomes of technology-driven initiatives
- Cross-border eHealth including health tourism
- The digital divide in mobility, access and affordability of healthcare
- Health technology assessment (HTA) methods and tools for evaluating the effectiveness of clinical and non-clinical health technologies
- Health and eHealth indicators and benchmarks (measure/metrics) for understanding the adoption and diffusion of health technologies
- Health and eHealth models and frameworks to support policy-makers and other stakeholders in decision-making
- Stakeholder engagement with health technologies (clinical and patient/citizen buy-in)
- Regulation and health economics