Contents
News from NCRR
People, Awards, Grants and New Developments
Highlights From Recent National Meetings
Collaborations among researchers and institutions nationwide are improving access to care, maximizing the use of critical resources and speeding scientific discoveries. Many of NCRR’s programs establish and encourage such collaborations in an effort to translate laboratory findings into better treatments for patients. With this goal in mind, NCRR jointly sponsored four summer meetings to explore programs that are advancing science and medicine through shared expertise and resources. Archived videocasts and meeting materials are available at www.ncrr.nih.gov/news_&_events/#past_events.
Clinical Research Management
In June, leaders of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium met to create a plan to improve clinical research management at CTSA sites nationwide. The Second Annual Clinical Research Management Workshop was hosted by the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation and supported by an NCRR-funded conference grant. The workshop brought together more than 60 academic medical centers, including 38 CTSAs; NIH; industry; and other organizations to discuss ways to develop evidence for improved efficiency in clinical research management. These discussions led to a plan that recommends:
- using data-driven methods of process improvement
- motivating “champions of change” at each site to drive improved processing efficiency
- publishing comparable data on each site to document the effects of process changes
- sharing best practices as teaching tools
- adopting standards in clinical research management across the CTSA consortium, and
- monitoring data periodically.
The Future of Telehealth
Representatives from federal agencies, universities and the high-tech industry attended the Future of Telehealth: Essential Tools and Technologies for Clinical Research and Care conference in late June to discuss the latest advances and recommend directions for developing and using telehealth technologies. Progress has ranged from harnessing the explosion of Web-based digital devices among consumers for personalized health care to facilitating research and health care among underserved populations through telehealth technology. Studies and applications described at the conference have demonstrated how implementing telehealth technologies could improve preventive medicine, health care education, health care access by the medically underserved, collaborative clinical and translational research, and public health systems. In light of these benefits, participants recommended that NIH facilitate collaboration and multicenter telehealth research and development, promote telehealth use among health care professionals, develop translational research software, and explore ways to enhance information security.
Efficient Core Facilities
In July, NCRR and the NIH Office of Extramural Research convened the Efficient Management and Utilization of Core Facilities workshop. Core facilities offer centralized, shared resources, such as instrumentation and other technology; support for cellular, animal or human studies; and expert consultation. These resources often are difficult for researchers to find or afford on their own and present a myriad of management challenges. The workshop convened more than 400 participants, including core administrators, government officials, researchers and other stakeholders, to discuss the state of NIH-funded core facilities and strategies for maximizing their use and efficiency. Suggestions included consolidating core facilities at the institutional and regional levels, enhancing networking among researchers and cores, and establishing a national registry. The workshop organizers will use the information and feedback provided to more effectively and efficiently support needed resources.
Rare Diseases Research
NCRR and the NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research held a conference in mid-July that brought together investigators, coordinators, patient advocacy groups and government leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities of studying rare diseases. The Advancing Rare Diseases Research Through Networks and Collaboration conference showcased some of the successes and lessons learned from the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network. This collaborative network of multiple research consortia, each focusing on a subset of rare diseases, conducts studies to discover disease mechanisms, develop diagnostics, identify biomarkers and test new treatments. It also trains new investigators in rare diseases research. Strategies for forming effective teams, sharing best practices, advancing basic research to clinical testing and disseminating research results into practice were discussed as part of interactive conference panels. Many speakers noted that collaboration across disciplines, across geographic regions and among partners is critical to advancing research.
NCRR continues to encourage collaborations to advance science and medicine and ultimately improve patient care.
