Clinical Trials and Research
Clinical trials and research
Research and clinical trials go hand-in-hand with discovering and improving patient care and treatment. Research helps to improve policies, practices and treatments in the healthcare system.
A clinical trial is a research study where people can volunteer to undergo new treatments, devices or tests to help prevent, detect, treat or manage diseases or medical conditions.
Clinical trials can give patients early access to treatment that has been proven successful well before it’s available to the public. They can improve quality of life for a range of diseases, and help to find new and improved treatment. They are run under strict protocols and participants must first pass eligibility criteria, after which they are closely monitored.
We opened our first clinical trial in 2021 and as we continue to grow, we look forward to inviting our community to participate in the clinical trials that we offer.
This will allow our patients to attend their trial appointments and testing locally, reducing the burden of having to travel long distances to participate in clinical trials.
Our long-term goal is to establish a clinical trials centre of excellence that delivers high quality research.
Through our partnership with TrialHub, a program that is supporting us as we establish, we will offer access to a range of clinical trials that will improve the patient experience and health outcomes of our community.
Our clinical trial unit
Over the next year, our aim is to grow our clinical trials team and build on existing strengths and partnerships to open clinical trials in cancer, including melanoma and cardiology.
We will continue to identify emerging areas of research priority that align with our health service priorities and the needs of our community.
Key features of our unit include:
- A dedicated, secure clinical trials office, home to our Research Governance Officer, Clinical Trial Coordinators, Research Nurses and Clinical Trial Data Administrator
- A dedicated, secure clinical room
- Secure storage for file storage
- Telehealth available, local IT support, Electronic Medical Records for all inpatient areas, REDCap
- Accredited external providers of pathology and medical imaging services (MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray) located on-site
- On-site pharmacy.
For all clinical trial enquires, email research@basscoasthealth.org.au
To learn more about clinical trials at BCH, go to:
National Clinical Trials Governance Framework
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has developed the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework (NCTGF) to ensure that clinical trials are conducted in a safe environment and in a high-quality manner for improved health outcomes for patients and the community.
The NCTGF supports the integration of clinical and corporate governance systems for clinical trial service provision into routine hospital care.
The NCTGF is aligned with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, in particular, the Clinical Governance Standard and the Partnering with Consumers Standard.
There are five components within these two standards:
- Governance, leadership and culture
- Patient safety and quality improvement systems
- Clinical performance and effectiveness
- Safe environment for the delivery of care
- Partnering with consumers.
The actions in the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework are mandatory for health service organisations providing clinical trial services and will be assessed as a part of hospital accreditation.
The National Clinical Trials Governance Framework and User Guide is available here:
National Clinical Trials Governance Framework and User Guide
The NCTGF has been endorsed by the Bass Coast Health Board of Directors and is being implemented at Bass Coast Health.