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Weiss EM, Gray MM, Ko LK, Duenas DM, Oslin E, Kraft SA. Development of the Better Research Interactions for Every Family (BRIEF) intervention to support recruitment for neonatal clinical trials: an intervention mapping guided approach. Trials 2024; 25:610. [PMID: 39267164 PMCID: PMC11395641 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08446-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recruitment for neonatal clinical trials can be particularly challenging. Low enrollment rates bias the research population and decrease generalizability of findings. We identified a critical need for an intervention to improve how researchers recruit for neonatal clinical trials. Working within the US neonatal research context, we developed the Better Research Interactions for Every Family (BRIEF) Intervention, which had two overarching goals: to improve the recruitment experience for all parents, focusing on minoritized populations, and to increase participation, focusing on decreasing disparities in research participation. METHODS We used intervention mapping (IM) to guide all steps of intervention development. IM is a planning framework that provides a systematic process and detailed protocol for step-by-step decision-making for intervention development, implementation, and evaluation. RESULTS We performed IM's six steps. In step 1, we convened two stakeholder groups, a parent panel and an expert panel, who provided guidance through development of all BRIEF components. Through a recent systematic review, empirical data collected by our team, and consultations with the panels, we identified key determinants (barriers and facilitators) of low enrollment rates and research team members as change agents. In step 2, we iteratively refined our list of key factors to include and linked determinants of behavior changes to these performance objectives. In step 3, we chose three theories (social cognitive theory, theory of information processing, and the trans-theoretical model), methods from identified practical applications suitable for the population (research team members) and the context (busy research NICU teams). In step 4, we developed and refined the intervention components, including self-guided pre-work and a single in-person session. In step 5, we identified the Darbepoetin plus slow-release intravenous iron trial as our partner study in which to pilot BRIEF. In step 6, we developed a multi-stage evaluation plan that included five distinct levels of outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This manuscript shares our rationale and processes for the creation of a research team member-facing intervention aiming to improve recruitment processes for neonatal clinical trials. Our approach can inform those aiming to improve recruitment for neonatal clinical trials and those who may be considering use of IM within similar contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliott Mark Weiss
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, M/S FA.2.113 Neonatology, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Megan M Gray
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, M/S FA.2.113 Neonatology, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Linda K Ko
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Devan M Duenas
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, M/S FA.2.113 Neonatology, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Ellie Oslin
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, M/S FA.2.113 Neonatology, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Stephanie A Kraft
- Department of Bioethics and Decision Sciences, Geisinger College of Health Sciences, Danville, PA, USA
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Harris J, Tibby SM, Latour JM. Parent and staff experiences of a feasibility trial evaluating neurally adjusted ventilatory assist in infants with acute viral bronchiolitis: A qualitative study. Nurs Crit Care 2024; 29:1023-1031. [PMID: 38553991 DOI: 10.1111/nicc.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is limited literature regarding family and staff experiences of participating in clinical trials. A qualitative study was embedded in the NAVABronch feasibility trial evaluating the effectiveness of a novel mode of ventilation, neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA), in infants with acute viral bronchiolitis. AIM The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of parents and health care practitioners (HCPs) involved in the NAVABronch Trial. STUDY DESIGN Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two parents and two focus groups were held with six HCPs. RESULTS Four themes were identified from the focus groups: (1) Creating staff engagement, (2) Education to deliver NAVA, (3) Normalizing NAVA in clinical practice (4) Creating meaningful study outcomes and (5) support of parents during the trial, this theme was generated from the parent interviews. The findings indicated the need for education regarding NAVA for HCPs which would lead to increased confidence, better guidance around the use of NAVA and the need for NAVA to be normalized and embedded into the unit culture. Parents identified the need for further support around preparation for what may happen as a result of the interventions, particularly the weaning of sedation. CONCLUSION Our study indicates that staff and parents had no concerns regarding the trial methods and procedures. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Conducting clinical trials in Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) is challenging and complex. There is limited literature regarding family and staff experiences of participating in clinical trials. Understanding their experiences is crucial in ensuring trial success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Harris
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
- Department of Children's Nursing, Institute of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - Shane M Tibby
- Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Evelina London Children's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Jos M Latour
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
- Nursing Department, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, China
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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Li Y, Nelson R, Izem R, Broglio K, Mundayat R, Gamalo M, Wen Y, Pan H, Sun H, Ye J. Unlocking the Potential: A Systematic Review of Master Protocol in Pediatrics. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2024; 58:634-644. [PMID: 38653950 PMCID: PMC11169036 DOI: 10.1007/s43441-024-00656-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The use of master protocols allows for innovative approaches to clinical trial designs, potentially enabling new approaches to operations and analytics and creating value for patients and drug developers. Pediatric research has been conducted for many decades, but the use of novel designs such as master protocols in pediatric research is not well understood. This study aims to provide a systematic review on the utilization of master protocols in pediatric drug development. A search was performed in September 2022 using two data sources (PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov) and included studies conducted in the past10 years. General study information was extracted such as study type, study status, therapeutic area, and clinical trial phase. Study characteristics that are specific to pediatric studies (such as age of the participants and pediatric drug dosing) and important study design elements (such as number of test drug arms and whether randomization and/or concurrent control was used) were also collected. Our results suggest that master protocol studies are being used in pediatrics, with platform and basket trials more common than umbrella trials. Most of this experience is in oncology and early phase studies. There is a rise in the use starting in 2020, largely in oncology and COVID-19 trials. However, adoption of master protocols in pediatric clinical research is still on a small scale and could be substantially expanded. Work is required to further understand the barriers in implementing pediatric master protocols, from setting up infrastructure to interpreting study findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimei Li
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, 3501 Civic Center Blvd, Colket Translational Research Building Room 4032, 19034, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | | | - Rima Izem
- Statistical Methodology, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Yansong Wen
- Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Haitao Pan
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hengrui Sun
- Food & Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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Maglalang PD, Wen J, Hornik CP, Gonzalez D. Sources of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability and clinical pharmacology studies of antiseizure medications in the pediatric population. Clin Transl Sci 2024; 17:e13793. [PMID: 38618871 PMCID: PMC11017206 DOI: 10.1111/cts.13793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple treatment options exist for children with epilepsy, including surgery, dietary therapies, neurostimulation, and antiseizure medications (ASMs). ASMs are the first line of therapy, and more than 30 ASMs have U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of various epilepsy and seizure types in children. Given the extensive FDA approval of ASMs in children, it is crucial to consider how the physiological and developmental changes throughout childhood may impact drug disposition. Various sources of pharmacokinetic (PK) variability from different extrinsic and intrinsic factors such as patients' size, age, drug-drug interactions, and drug formulation could result in suboptimal dosing of ASMs. Barriers exist to conducting clinical pharmacological studies in neonates, infants, and children due to ethical and practical reasons, limiting available data to fully characterize these drugs' disposition and better elucidate sources of PK variability. Modeling and simulation offer ways to circumvent traditional and intensive clinical pharmacology methods to address gaps in epilepsy and seizure management in children. This review discusses various physiological and developmental changes that influence the PK and pharmacodynamic (PD) variability of ASMs in children, and several key ASMs will be discussed in detail. We will also review novel trial designs in younger pediatric populations, highlight the role of extrapolation of efficacy in epilepsy, and the use of physiologically based PK modeling as a tool to investigate sources of PK/PD variability in children. Finally, we will conclude with current challenges and future directions for optimizing the efficacy and safety of these drugs across the pediatric age spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia D. Maglalang
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, UNC Eshelman School of PharmacyThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jiali Wen
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, UNC Eshelman School of PharmacyThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Christoph P. Hornik
- Duke Clinical Research InstituteDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of PediatricsDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Daniel Gonzalez
- Duke Clinical Research InstituteDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of MedicineDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
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Di J, Tuttle PG, Adamowicz L, Lin W, Zhang H, Psaltos D, Selig J, Bai J, Karahanoglu FI, Sheriff P, Seelam V, Williams B, Ghafoor S, Demanuele C, Santamaria M, Cai X. Monitoring Activity and Gait in Children (MAGIC) using digital health technologies. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03147-x. [PMID: 38514860 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03147-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Digital health technologies (DHTs) can collect gait and physical activity in adults, but limited studies have validated these in children. This study compared gait and physical activity metrics collected using DHTs to those collected by reference comparators during in-clinic sessions, to collect a normative accelerometry dataset, and to evaluate participants' comfort and their compliance in wearing the DHTs at-home. METHODS The MAGIC (Monitoring Activity and Gait in Children) study was an analytical validation study which enrolled 40, generally healthy participants aged 3-17 years. Gait and physical activity were collected using DHTs in a clinical setting and continuously at-home. RESULTS Overall good to excellent agreement was observed between gait metrics extracted with a gait algorithm from a lumbar-worn DHT compared to ground truth reference systems. Majority of participants either "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that wrist and lumbar DHTs were comfortable to wear at home, respectively, with 86% (wrist-worn DHT) and 68% (lumbar-worn DHT) wear-time compliance. Significant differences across age groups were observed in multiple gait and activity metrics obtained at home. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that gait and physical activity data can be collected from DHTs in pediatric populations with high reliability and wear compliance, in-clinic and in home environments. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04823650 IMPACT: Digital health technologies (DHTs) have been used to collect gait and physical activity in adult populations, but limited studies have validated these metrics in children. The MAGIC study comprehensively validates the performance and feasibility of DHT-measured gait and physical activity in the pediatric population. Our findings suggest that reliable gait and physical activity data can be collected from DHTs in pediatric populations, with both high accuracy and wear compliance both in-clinic and in home environments. The identified across-age-group differences in gait and activity measurements highlighted their potential clinical value.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xuemei Cai
- Pfizer, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
- Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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Weiss EM, Donohue PK, Wootton SH, Stevens E, Merhar SL, Puia-Dumitrescu M, Mercer A, Oslin E, Porter KM, Wilfond BS. Motivations for and against Participation in Neonatal Research: Insights from Interviews of Diverse Parents Approached for Neonatal Research in the United States. J Pediatr 2024; 275:113923. [PMID: 38492913 PMCID: PMC11399325 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.113923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe parents' motivations for and against participation in neonatal research, including the views of those who declined participation. STUDY DESIGN We performed 44 semi-structured, qualitative interviews of parents approached for neonatal research. Here we describe their motivations for and against participation. RESULTS Altruism was an important reason parents chose to participate. Some hoped participation in research would benefit their infant. Burdens of participation to the family, such as transportation to follow up (distinct from risks/burdens to the infant), were often deciding factors among those who declined participation. Perceived risks to the infant were reasons against participation, but parents often did not differentiate between baseline risks and incremental risk of study participation. Concerns regarding their infant being treated like a "guinea pig" were common among those who declined. Finally, historical abuses and institutional racism were reported as important concerns by some research decliners from minoritized populations. CONCLUSIONS Within a diverse sample of parents approached to enroll their infant in neonatal research, motivations for and against participation emerged, which may be targets of future interventions. These motivations included reasons for participation which we may hope to encourage, such as altruism. They also included reasons against participation, which we may hope to, as feasible, eliminate, mitigate, or at least acknowledge. These findings can help clinical trialists, regulators, and funders attempting to improve neonatal research recruitment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliott Mark Weiss
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA.
| | - Pamela K Donohue
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Susan H Wootton
- McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Emily Stevens
- McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Stephanie L Merhar
- Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
| | | | - Amanda Mercer
- Counselor Education Department, Portland State University, Portland, OR
| | - Ellie Oslin
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA
| | - Kathryn M Porter
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA
| | - Benjamin S Wilfond
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
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Weiss EM, Porter KM, Oslin E, Puia-Dumitrescu M, Donohue PK, Merhar SL, Stephens E, Mercer A, Wilfond BS. Experiences and preferences for learning about neonatal research: insights from parent interviews. J Perinatol 2024; 44:404-414. [PMID: 38001157 PMCID: PMC10939889 DOI: 10.1038/s41372-023-01790-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Parents struggle with being asked to participate in neonatal research. Past work has largely failed to include views of minoritized parents, low-socioeconomic status parents, and those who declined research. We aimed to describe parents' preferences related to learning about eligibility for neonatal research. METHODS Qualitative interviews of parents who were asked to enroll their infant in neonatal research. Themes related to parental experiences and preferences for learning about neonatal research were identified using content analysis. RESULTS Many parents desired greater involvement of their clinical team. Emotions at the time of recruitment were critically important to parents' experience, where were deeply impacted by interpersonal relationships with research staff. DISCUSSION Increased involvement of the clinical team and greater sensitivity to the stressors around parent and infant conditions at the time of recruitment for neonatal research should be considered by those attempting to improve recruitment for neonatal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliott Mark Weiss
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Kathryn M Porter
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ellie Oslin
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mihai Puia-Dumitrescu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Pamela K Donohue
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephanie L Merhar
- Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Emily Stephens
- McGovern Medical Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amanda Mercer
- Counselor Education Department, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Benjamin S Wilfond
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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Rivers Z, Hyde B, Ronski K, Stearns D, Toll S, Ritt K, Cooney M, Nimeiri H, Federman N, Kaneva K. Exploring Barriers to Pediatric Cancer Clinical Trials: The Role of a Networked, Just-in-Time Study Program. Clin Ther 2023; 45:1148-1150. [PMID: 37783645 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity (RACE) for Children Act mandates that newly developed targeted oncology drugs be tested in children when molecular targets are relevant to pediatric cancers. In its first year, the RACE for Children Act was effective in creating novel drug development opportunities for children with cancer; however, significant barriers to clinical trial enrollment persist. Pediatric cancer clinical trials are impacted by challenges surrounding logistics, complexity, and access. As such, there is potential for a networked and centralized study approach to address these barriers. Here we discuss adapting a just-in-time clinical trial approach for adults to serve the pediatric oncology population. Through innovative patient matching solutions leveraging large, real-world datasets with high computational power, the Tempus Integrated Molecular Evaluation (TIME) for Kids Program aims to address barriers in the development of new therapies. This commentary explores the potential for reducing challenges in developing novel pediatric therapeutics, advancing equity in genomic biomarker testing for precision tailored treatment, and improving outcomes for pediatric oncology patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ben Hyde
- Tempus Labs, 600 W Chicago, Chicago, IL 60654
| | | | - Duncan Stearns
- University Hospitals Seidman, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH
| | | | - Kevin Ritt
- Tempus Labs, 600 W Chicago, Chicago, IL 60654
| | | | | | - Noah Federman
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
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Hare MM, Walker CS, Sarver DE, Lim CS, Brown DC, Annett RD. Assessing attitudes towards pediatric research participation across diverse populations: Psychometric properties of a novel tool. Contemp Clin Trials 2023; 133:107321. [PMID: 37652358 PMCID: PMC10591922 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical trials play a crucial role in advancing medical knowledge and improving health outcomes. However, there is a recognized need for greater representation of marginalized groups to ensure that research findings can be generalized and effectively applied to all individuals. While the Pediatric Research Participation Questionnaire (PRPQ) was developed to assist pediatric clinical trials research by identifying benefits and barriers to research participation among children with chronic medical conditions, there is still limited insight into the structure of the PRPQ when administered in diverse samples, including the general pediatric population. Therefore, the current study examined the factor structure of the PRPQ in a general pediatric population to investigate whether rural-urban differences exist in the PRPQ factor structure. METHODS Caregivers (N = 600) of children under age 18 completed the PRPQ in a population-based survey in Mississippi. Sampling was stratified to ensure equal representation in rural (n = 300) and urban areas (n = 300). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to determine the factor structure of the PRPQ. RESULTS A five-factor structure was identified, compromising: social pressure, direct benefit, reasons for participation, mistrust in research/researchers, reasons against participation. While results were similar among urban participants, a three-factor structure emerged for rural participants. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes to the broader understanding of research participation among underrepresented groups. The findings suggest that clinical researchers should consider tailoring recruitment strategies to increase clinical trial participation among children in rural areas. Understanding factors that influence pediatric research participation, particularly among marginalized communities, is crucial for developing effective recruitment and retention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Hare
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Courtney S Walker
- Center for Advancement of Youth, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39110, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39110, USA
| | - Dustin E Sarver
- Center for Advancement of Youth, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39110, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39110, USA.
| | - Crystal S Lim
- Department of Health Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Dustin C Brown
- Department of Sociology and Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - Robert D Annett
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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Georgoula C, Ferrin M, Pietraszczyk-Kedziora B, Hervas A, Marret S, Oliveira G, Rosier A, Crutel V, Besse E, Severo CA, Ravel D, Fuentes J. A Phase III Study of Bumetanide Oral Liquid Formulation for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents Aged Between 7 and 17 Years with Autism Spectrum Disorder (SIGN 1 Trial): Participant Baseline Characteristics. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023; 54:1360-1372. [PMID: 35292925 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01328-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The efficacy of bumetanide (oral liquid formulation 0.5 mg bid) as a treatment for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in children and adolescents aged 7-17 years is being investigated in an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III study. The primary endpoint is the change in Childhood Autism Rating Scale 2 (CARS2) total raw score after 6 months of treatment. At baseline, the 211 participants analysed are broadly representative of autistic subjects in this age range: mean (SD) age, 10.4 (3.0) years; 82.5% male; 47.7% with intelligence quotient ≥ 70. Mean CARS2 score was 40.1 (4.9) and mean Social Responsiveness Scale score was 116.7 (23.4). Final study results will provide data on efficacy and safety of bumetanide in autistic children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bozena Pietraszczyk-Kedziora
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Niepubliczny Zakład Opieki Zdrowotnej Gdańskie Centrum Zdrowia, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Amaia Hervas
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, Hospital Universitari Mútua de Terrassa, and Global Institute of Neurodevelopment Integrated Care (IGAIN), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stéphane Marret
- Department of Neonatal Pediatrics, Intensive Care, and Neuropediatrics, Rouen University Hospital and INSERM U 1245 Team 4 Neovasc, School of Medicine, Normandy University, Rouen, France
| | - Guiomar Oliveira
- Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit From Child Developmental Center and Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Pediatrics, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Antoine Rosier
- Department of Neonatal Pediatrics, CHU de Rouen and CHU le Rouvray, Sotteville les Rouen, France
| | - Véronique Crutel
- Neuro Inflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, 50 Rue Carnot, 92284, Suresnes CEDEX, France
| | - Emmanuelle Besse
- Neuro Inflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, 50 Rue Carnot, 92284, Suresnes CEDEX, France
| | - Cristina Albarrán Severo
- Neuro Inflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, 50 Rue Carnot, 92284, Suresnes CEDEX, France.
| | | | - Joaquin Fuentes
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Service, Policlínica Gipuzkoa and Gipuzkoa Autism Society (GAUTENA), Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain
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Johnson MD, Barney BJ, Rower JE, Finkelstein Y, Zorc JJ. Intravenous Magnesium: Prompt Use for Asthma in Children Treated in the Emergency Department (IMPACT-ED): Protocol for a Multicenter Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e48302. [PMID: 37459153 PMCID: PMC10391520 DOI: 10.2196/48302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children managed for asthma in an emergency department (ED) may be less likely to be hospitalized if they receive intravenous magnesium sulfate (IVMg). Asthma guidelines recommend IVMg for severely sick children but note a lack of evidence to support this recommendation. All previous trials of IVMg in children with asthma have been too small to answer whether IVMg is effective and safe. A few major questions remain about IVMg. First, it has not been tested early in the course of ED treatment, when the impact on hospitalization would be greatest. Second, the clinical impact of hypotension, a known adverse effect of IVMg, has not been well characterized in previous research. Third, no trials have compared different IVMg doses or serial serum magnesium (total and ionized) concentrations to optimize dosing, so the most effective dose is unknown. A large, conclusive, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of IVMg might be challenging due to the need to enroll and complete study procedures quickly, a lack of understanding of blood pressure changes after IVMg, and a lack of pharmacologic information to guide the optimal doses of IVMg to be tested. Therefore, a pilot study to inform the above gaps is warranted before conducting a definitive trial. OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study are to (1) demonstrate the feasibility of enrolling children with severe acute asthma in the ED in a multicenter, randomized controlled trial of a placebo, low-dose IVMg, or high-dose IVMg; (2) demonstrate the feasibility of timely delivery of study medication, assessment of blood pressure, and evaluation of adverse events in a standardized protocol; and (3) externally validate a previously constructed pharmacokinetic model and develop a combined pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model for IVMg using magnesium (total and ionized) serum concentrations and their correlation with measures of efficacy and safety. METHODS This pilot trial tests procedures and gathers information to plan a definitive trial. The pilot trial will enroll as many as 90 children across 3 sites, randomize each child to 1 of 3 study arms, measure blood pressure frequently, and collect 3 blood samples from each participant with corresponding clinical asthma scores. RESULTS The project was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (1 R34HL152047-2) in March 2022. Enrollment began in September 2022, and 43 children have been enrolled as of April 2023. We will submit the results for publication in late 2023. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study will guide the planning of a large, definitive, multicenter trial powered to evaluate if IVMg reduces hospitalization. Blood pressure measurements will inform a monitoring plan for the larger trial, and blood samples and asthma scores will be used to validate pharmacologic models to select the optimal dose of IVMg to be evaluated in the definitive trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05166811; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05166811. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/48302.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Johnson
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Bradley J Barney
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Joseph E Rower
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah College of Pharmacy, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Yaron Finkelstein
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joseph J Zorc
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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12
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Parker AE, Scull TM, Kennedy KL. Efficacy of DigiKnowItNews: Teen, a multimedia educational website for adolescents about pediatric clinical trials: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2023; 24:436. [PMID: 37391773 PMCID: PMC10311873 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07464-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric research is crucial for the development of new scientific advancements, treatments, and therapies for adolescents. Yet relatively few pediatric clinical trials are conducted due to barriers to successful recruitment and retention, including knowledge and attitudes about clinical trials. Adolescents tend to experience greater autonomy to make decisions and have expressed interest in being part of the decision to participate in clinical trials. Increasing knowledge, positive attitudes, and self-efficacy related to clinical trials could positively impact the decision to participate in a pediatric clinical trial. However, there are currently few interactive, developmentally appropriate, web-based resources available to educate adolescents about clinical trials. DigiKnowItNews: Teen was created as a multimedia educational website to address the relatively low levels of enrollment in pediatric clinical trials and need for information to empower adolescents to make decisions about participating in clinical trials. METHODS This is a parallel group randomized controlled superiority trial to test the effectiveness of DigiKnowItNews: Teen, for improving factors related to clinical trial participation among adolescent and parents. Eligible parent-adolescent (ages 12 to 17 years) pairs will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: intervention or wait-list control. All participants will complete pre- and post-test questionnaires and participants assigned to the intervention will receive access to review the DigiKnowItNews: Teen content for 1 week. Wait-list control participants will have the option to review DigiKnowItNews: Teen after study completion. The primary outcomes are knowledge about clinical research, attitudes, and beliefs toward pediatric clinical trials, self-efficacy for making decisions related to clinical trial participation, willingness to participate in a future clinical trial, procedural fears, and parent-adolescent communication quality. Overall feedback and satisfaction related to DigiKnowItNews: Teen will also be collected. DISCUSSION The trial will evaluate the effectiveness of DigiKnowIt News: Teen, an educational website about pediatric clinical trials for adolescents. If found effective in promoting factors related to future pediatric clinical trial participation, DigiKnowIt News: Teen could be used by adolescents, along with their parents, as they make the decision to participate in a clinical trial. Clinical trial researchers can also use DigiKnowIt News: Teen to aid their participant recruitment efforts. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05714943. Registered on 02/03/2023.
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13
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Strong H, Hood AM, Johnson Y, Hackworth R, Reed-Shackelford M, Ramaswamy R, Varughese T, Quinn CT, Crosby LE. Using the consolidated framework for implementation research to identify recruitment barriers and targeted strategies for a shared decision-making randomized clinical trial in pediatric sickle cell disease. Clin Trials 2023; 20:211-222. [PMID: 36794731 PMCID: PMC10330034 DOI: 10.1177/17407745231154199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Recruitment is often a barrier in clinical trials that include minoritized populations, such as individuals with sickle cell disease. In the United States, the majority of people with sickle cell disease identify as Black or African American. In sickle cell disease, 57% of the United States trials that ended early did so due to low enrollment. Thus, there is a need for interventions that improve trial enrollment in this population. After lower-than-expected recruitment during the first 6 months of the Engaging Parents of Children with Sickle Cell Anemia and their Providers in Shared-Decision-Making for Hydroxyurea trial, a multi-site study for young children with sickle cell disease, we collected data to understand barriers and used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to categorize them and guide the development of targeted strategies. METHODS Study staff used screening logs and coordinator and principal investigator calls to identify recruitment barriers that were then mapped onto Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research constructs. Targeted strategies were implemented during Months 7-13. Recruitment and enrollment data were summarized before (Months 1-6) and during the implementation period (Months 7-13). RESULTS During the first 13 months, 60 caregivers (M = 30.65 years; SD = 6.35) enrolled in the trial. Most caregivers primarily self-identified as female (n = 54, 95%) and African American or Black (n = 51, 90%). Recruitment barriers mapped onto three Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research constructs: (1) Process barriers (i.e. no identified "site champion" and poor recruitment planning at several sites); (2) Inner setting barriers (i.e. limited communication, low relative study priority at several sites); and (3) Outer setting barriers (i.e. poor patient attendance at clinic appointments). Targeted strategies to improve recruitment included (1) principal investigator site visits and retraining on recruitment procedures to address process barriers; (2) increased frequency of communication through all coordinator, site principal investigator, and individual site calls to address inner setting barriers; and (3) development and implementation of no-show procedures for clinic appointments to address outer setting barriers. After implementation of the recruitment strategies, the number of caregivers identified for pre-screening increased from 54 to 164, and enrollment more than tripled from 14 to 46 caregiver participants. CONCLUSION Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research constructs guided the development of targeted strategies that increased enrollment. This reflective process reframes recruitment challenges as the responsibility of the research team rather than characterizing minoritized populations as "difficult" or "hard to reach." Future trials including patients with sickle cell disease and minoritized populations may benefit from this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Strong
- Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Anna M Hood
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Yolanda Johnson
- Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Rogelle Hackworth
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Partner, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Marque Reed-Shackelford
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Partner, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Rohit Ramaswamy
- James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Taniya Varughese
- Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Charles T Quinn
- Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Division of Hematology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Lori E Crosby
- Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Division of Hematology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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14
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Johnson JK, Loiselle A, Thibau IJ, Smith Begolka W. Factors related to eczema clinical trial participation among adult patients and caregivers. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2023; 33:101138. [PMID: 37113326 PMCID: PMC10126846 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2023.101138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Eczema can be difficult to treat due to its chronic, heterogeneous nature. Effective long-term treatments for adults and children are needed. Little is known about what considerations influence eczema patient and caregiver decision-making regarding clinical trial participation (CTP). This study identifies factors that adult patients and caregivers consider important for CTP and determines if differences exist between these groups. Methods A 46-question survey was administered May 1-June 6, 2020, to adults and caregivers of children with eczema. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of a series of factors when considering CTP; adults and caregivers were compared. Results Out of 31 total factors queried, eleven factors differed significantly in importance ratings between adults (n = 470) and caregivers (n = 134). The route of therapy (p = 0.030), side effects (p = 0.014), washout period (p = 0.028), receiving a placebo (p = 0.027), rescue therapy option (p = 0.033), access to test drug after trial (p = 0.027), sticking with the clinical trial regimen (p = 0.025), fit with work/school (p = 0.005), impact on overall health (p = 0.008), and satisfaction with current treatment (p = 0.033) were all more likely to be rated as important by caregivers than by adult patients. Only altruism was rated more highly by adult patients than caregivers (p = 0.027). Conclusions Caregivers are more likely than adults to attribute high importance to factors that may affect their child's eczema or well-being when considering CTP. Patient-centered CTP education materials and decision aids may support patients and caregivers in CTP decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K. Johnson
- National Eczema Association, 505 San Marin Drive, #B300, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | - Allison Loiselle
- National Eczema Association, 505 San Marin Drive, #B300, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | - Isabelle J. Thibau
- National Eczema Association, 505 San Marin Drive, #B300, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | - Wendy Smith Begolka
- National Eczema Association, 505 San Marin Drive, #B300, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
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15
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Hafeman M, Greenspan S, Rakhamimova E, Jin Z, Moore RP, Al Bizri E. Caudal block vs. transversus abdominis plane block for pediatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1173700. [PMID: 37325354 PMCID: PMC10265625 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1173700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The caudal block and transversus abdominis plane block (TAP) are commonly used in combination with general anesthesia for pediatric lower abdominal, inguinal, and genitourinary surgeries. There is limited data directly comparing the impact of these techniques on recovery. In this meta-analysis, we compare the duration of postoperative analgesia between these two techniques. Objective This review examined the duration of analgesia in pediatric patients (age 0-18 years) undergoing surgery who received caudal or TAP block after induction of general anesthesia. The primary outcome was duration of analgesia, defined as the time to first rescue analgesic dose. Secondary outcomes included number of rescue analgesic doses, acetaminophen usage within 24 h postoperatively, 24 h pain score area under the curve, and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Evidence review We systematically searched Pubmed, Central, EMBASE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Web of Science citation index, the US clinical trials register, and abstracts from prominent 2020-2022 anesthesia conferences for randomized controlled trials that compared these blocks and reported analgesia duration. Findings Twelve RCTs inclusive of 825 patients were identified. TAP block was associated with longer analgesia duration (Mean difference = 1.76 h, 95% CI: 0.70-2.81, p = 0.001) and reduced doses of rescue analgesic within 24 h (Mean difference = 0.50 doses, 95% CI: 0.02-0.98, p = 0.04). No statistically significant differences were detected in other outcomes. Conclusion This meta-analysis suggests that TAP block provides greater duration of analgesia than caudal block after pediatric surgeries. TAP block was also associated with fewer rescue analgesic doses in the first 24 h without increased pain scores. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=380876, identifier: CRD42022380876.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hafeman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Seth Greenspan
- Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Emiliya Rakhamimova
- Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Zhaosheng Jin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Robert P. Moore
- Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Ehab Al Bizri
- Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
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16
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Polfuss M, Mooney-Doyle K, Keller M, Gralton KS, Giambra B, Vance A. Developing a Family Resource: Considerations for Family Member Research Participation. JOURNAL OF FAMILY NURSING 2023; 29:202-222. [PMID: 36935575 DOI: 10.1177/10748407231157433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
When individuals participate in health care research, the choice often affects the entire family. Researchers are responsible for protecting participants and minimizing any burdens the research may place on them. Resources to educate potential study participants about these issues from a family perspective are lacking. A family-focused, evidence-based resource was created for individuals and families to prompt discussion prior to their consenting to enrollment in research. The resource includes key relevant questions to consider related to their study participation and was revised based on input from family nurse scientists and a hospital-based family advisory group. This resource raises awareness of the importance of employing a family lens when designing research and during the recruitment and enrollment of participants. Adopting a family lens in health care research will support the participant's ability to make an informed choice regarding participation and may ultimately enhance the experience of participants and their families and study outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Polfuss
- University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Children's Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | | | | | - Barbara Giambra
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ashlee Vance
- Michigan State University, Detroit, USA
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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17
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Buro AW, Gray HL, Ruble K, Soca Lozano S, Sauls R, Albizu-Jacob A, Crowder SL, Mazzeo SE, Stern M. Challenges and adaptations for a cluster-randomized control trial targeting parents of pediatric cancer survivors with obesity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transl Behav Med 2023; 13:98-103. [PMID: 36327379 PMCID: PMC9972348 DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibac084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the importance of digital technology in clinical trial implementation, there is a dearth of literature reporting on challenges and strategies related to multi-site randomized controlled trials (RCTs) among pediatric cancer survivors during the pandemic. This paper discusses challenges faced in the implementation of the NOURISH-T+ trial so far (December 2019-March 2022) and describes adaptations made as a result of these disruptions in the areas of recruitment, data collection, and overall engagement. This reflection is based on a multisite cluster-RCT that aims to examine whether an intervention targeting parents as agents of change to promote healthy eating and physical activity in pediatric cancer survivors, NOURISH-T+ (Nourishing Our Understanding of Role modeling to Improve Support and Health for Healthy Transitions), reduces body mass and improves health behaviors compared to Brief NOURISH-T (Enhanced Usual Care/EUC). The COVID-19 pandemic has created and exacerbated challenges for our trial related to participant recruitment and engagement, technology access and literacy, and data collection and management, as well as COVID-related challenges (e.g., Zoom fatigue). Strategies used to address these challenges might prove helpful in future virtual or hybrid RCTs, including developing trust and rapport with participants, providing support through multiple routes of dissemination, and using data management applications (e.g., REDCap™) for automation and project management. Extra efforts to build families' trust and rapport, offering multiple routes of support, and automating as many tasks as possible are critical to ensuring the continuation of high-quality clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acadia W Buro
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Heewon L Gray
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Kathy Ruble
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Rachel Sauls
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Alexandra Albizu-Jacob
- Department of Child and Family Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sylvia L Crowder
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Suzanne E Mazzeo
- Departments of Psychology and Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Marilyn Stern
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
- Department of Child and Family Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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18
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Examining participant representation by sex, race, ethnicity and age in United States blood donation and blood transfusion clinical trials. Transfus Apher Sci 2023:103653. [PMID: 36781328 DOI: 10.1016/j.transci.2023.103653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Significant inequities based on sex, race, ethnicity, and age exist among participants in clinical trials dedicated to investigating medical disease states. While general demographic data regarding blood donors and blood transfusion recipients have been studied extensively, the demographics of participants involved in blood donation and blood transfusion clinical trials are unknown. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of United States (U.S.) -based interventional blood donation and blood transfusion clinical trials registered with Clinicaltrials.gov to ascertain the composition of participants' sex, race, ethnicity, and age, as well as diagnostic conditions and geographic trial locations.Eligible trials were undertaken between July 2003 and August 2020. Thirty-eight of the one hundred and fifty-two blood donation and blood transfusion clinical trials met inclusion criteria (seven blood donation and thirty-one blood transfusion trials). While the participant dataset from trial reports were incomplete, 100 % of blood donation trials reported sex and age, 71.4 % reported race, and 42.3 % reported ethnicity. 96.8 % of blood transfusion trials reported sex, 51.6 % reported race, 38.7 % reported ethnicity, and 100 % reported age. Among 2720 participants enrolled in the seven blood donation trials, females were underrepresented (28.5 %) compared to U.S. Census data. Conversely, female (50.8 %) and male participants (49.2 %) were equally represented in blood transfusion trials (9255 participants). White participants were overrepresented in blood donation trials (73.4 %), while Hispanic or Latinos were underrepresented in both blood donation (7.7 %) and blood transfusion (8.2 %) trials compared to 2019 U.S.Census data. Only 8.3 % of blood transfusion clinical trials open to adults reported including older adults (i.e., ≥ 65yo). Despite mandatory reporting requirements and an already established framework, researchers frequently failed to report complete demographics of blood donation and blood transfusion clinical trial participants. Furthermore, various demographic groups were underrepresented in blood donation and/or blood transfusion clinical trials, including females, Hispanic or Latino individuals, and older adults. These findings demonstrate the need for implementation of strategies to ensure equitable representation of individuals in blood donation and transfusion clinical trials.
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Nathe JM, Oskoui TT, Weiss EM. Parental Views of Facilitators and Barriers to Research Participation: Systematic Review. Pediatrics 2023; 151:e2022058067. [PMID: 36477217 PMCID: PMC9808610 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2022-058067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Low enrollment within pediatric research increases the cost of research, decreases generalizability, and threatens to exacerbate existing health disparities. To assess barriers and facilitators to pediatric research participation and evaluate differences by enrollment status. METHODS Data Sources include PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Web of Science. Study selection include peer reviewed articles that contained information related to facilitators and barriers to the parental decision whether to enroll their child in research and included the views of parents who declined. We extracted barriers and facilitators to research, enrollment status, and study characteristics, including study design, quality, and patient population. RESULTS Seventy articles were included for analysis. Facilitators of participation included: benefits, trust, support of research, informational and consent related, and relational issues. Common facilitators within those categories included health benefit to child (N = 39), altruism (N = 30), and the importance of research (N = 26). Barriers to participation included: study-related concerns, burdens of participation, lack of trust, general research concerns, informational and consent related, and relational issues. Common barriers within those categories included risks to child (N = 46), burdens of participation (N = 35), and the stress of the decision (N = 29). We had a limited ability to directly compare by enrollment status and no ability to analyze interactions between facilitators and barriers. We only included studies written in English. CONCLUSIONS This review identified key facilitators and barriers to research participation in pediatrics. The findings from this review may guide researchers aiming to create interventions to improve the parental experience of recruitment for pediatric studies and to optimize enrollment rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M. Nathe
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Tira T. Oskoui
- David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Elliott Mark Weiss
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
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20
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Azzolina D, Comoretto R, Da Dalt L, Bressan S, Gregori D. A SuperLearner-enforced approach for the estimation of treatment effect in pediatric trials. Digit Health 2023; 9:20552076231191967. [PMID: 37559827 PMCID: PMC10408313 DOI: 10.1177/20552076231191967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Randomized Clinical Trials (RCT) represent the gold standard among scientific evidence. RCTs are tailored to control selection bias and the confounding effect of baseline characteristics on the effect of treatment. However, trial conduction and enrolment procedures could be challenging, especially for rare diseases and paediatric research. In these research frameworks, the treatment effect estimation could be compromised. A potential countermeasure is to develop predictive models on the probability of the baseline disease based on previously collected observational data. Machine learning (ML) algorithms have recently become attractive in clinical research because of their flexibility and improved performance compared to standard statistical methods in developing predictive models. Objective This manuscript proposes an ML-enforced treatment effect estimation procedure based on an ensemble SuperLearner (SL) approach, trained on historical observational data, to control the confounding effect. Methods The REnal SCarring Urinary infEction trial served as a motivating example. Historical observational study data have been simulated through 10,000 Monte Carlo (MC) runs. Hypothetical RCTs have been also simulated, for each MC run, assuming different treatment effects of antibiotics combined with steroids. For each MC simulation, the SL tool has been applied to the simulated observational data. Furthermore, the average treatment effect (ATE), has been estimated on the trial data and adjusted for the SL predicted probability of renal scar. Results The simulation results revealed an increased power in ATE estimation for the SL-enforced estimation compared to the unadjusted estimates for all the algorithms composing the ensemble SL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danila Azzolina
- Department of Environmental and Preventive Science, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Rosanna Comoretto
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Liviana Da Dalt
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Bressan
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Dario Gregori
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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21
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Taubin D, Berger AF, Baek I, DiSalvo M, Wilens TE, Yule AM. Are adolescents and young adults in substance use disorder treatment as engaged in the research recruitment process as those in general behavioral health treatment? Contemp Clin Trials 2022; 122:106967. [PMID: 36265809 PMCID: PMC9814169 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE While prior research suggests that individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) are generally more difficult to engage in research, little is known about the research engagement of adolescents and young adults (AYA) in SUD treatment as it compares to peers seen in general behavioral health settings. This study aimed to systematically compare engagement in virtual research recruitment between AYA in SUD treatment and AYA in behavioral health (BH) treatment. METHODS Study staff contacted patients ages 16-30 at three outpatient clinics to recruit them for a naturalistic longitudinal online study. Staff documented whether patients answered the phone, expressed interest in the study, answered questions regarding eligibility, and enrolled in the study. RESULTS Overall, 18% (n = 117) of those contacted by phone enrolled in the study. The rate of AYA reached did not significantly differ between those in SUD treatment (51%) and those in BH treatment (55%). Among those who were reached, those in SUD and BH treatment did not significantly differ (all p > 0.05) in rates of being interested in the study (SUD: 58%; BH: 49%), completing the phone screen (SUD: 46%; BH: 41%) or enrolling in the study (SUD: 33%; BH: 35%). CONCLUSIONS Overall, we found that engaging AYA in SUD treatment in virtual naturalistic longitudinal research was no more difficult than engaging AYA seen in general behavioral health settings. Future research should examine generalizability of engagement in naturalistic research to other study designs and explore the continuity of this effect into study retention and completion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Taubin
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America.
| | - Amy F Berger
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America
| | - In Baek
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America
| | - Maura DiSalvo
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America
| | - Timothy E Wilens
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America
| | - Amy M Yule
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
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22
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Kraft SA, Porter KM, Sullivan TR, Anderson EE, Garrison NA, Baker L, Smith JM, Weiss EM. Relationship building in pediatric research recruitment: Insights from qualitative interviews with research staff. J Clin Transl Sci 2022; 6:e138. [PMID: 36590359 PMCID: PMC9794958 DOI: 10.1017/cts.2022.469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Clinical research staff play a critical role in recruiting families for pediatric research, but their views are not well described. We aimed to describe how pediatric research staff build trusting research relationships with patients and their families. Methods We interviewed research staff at one pediatric research institution and its affiliated academic medical center between November 2020 and February 2021. Staff were eligible if they conducted participant recruitment, consent, and/or enrollment for clinical research. We developed our semi-structured interview guide based on a framework for trusting researcher-community partnerships. Results We interviewed 28 research staff, with a median age of 28 years (range 22-50) and a median of 5 years of experience (range 1-29). Interviewees identified factors relevant to relationship building across three levels: the individual staff member, the relational interaction with the family, and the institutional or other structural backdrop. Individual factors included how staff developed recruitment skills, their perceived roles, and their personal motivations. Relational factors spanned four stages of recruitment: before the approach, forming an initial connection with a family, building the connection, and following up. Structural factors were related to access and diversity, clinical interactions, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Research staff discussed tensions and supports with various actors, challenges with the integration of research and clinical care, the importance of voluntariness for building trust, and multiple contributors to inequities in research. These findings reveal the importance of ensuring research staff have a voice in institutional policies and are supported to advocate for patients and families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Kraft
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kathryn M. Porter
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Emily E. Anderson
- Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Nanibaa’ A. Garrison
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Institute for Precision Health, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laura Baker
- Research Integration Hub, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jodi M. Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Research Integration Hub, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Elliott M. Weiss
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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23
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Chua ME, Kim JK, Ming JM, De Cotiis KN, Yang SS, Rickard M, Lorenzo AJ, Dos Santos J. Scoping review of recent evidence on the management of pediatric urolithiasis: summary of meta-analyses, systematic reviews and relevant randomized controlled trials. Pediatr Surg Int 2022; 38:1349-1361. [PMID: 35939126 DOI: 10.1007/s00383-022-05190-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This scoping review aimed to evaluate and summarize the recent 10 year pediatric urolithiasis literature with a particular focus on systematic reviews, randomized-controlled trials (RCT) and meta-analysis. The systematic literature search performed on September 1, 2021, restricted to the recent 10 years, focused on pediatric urolithiasis that are RCTs, meta-analysis and systematic reviews. The summarized literature included etiology, diagnostics, medical and surgical management. GRADE criteria are used to evaluate and standardize the reporting of evidence quality. A total of 33 relevant articles were included. The recent high-level studies included topics of genetic and diet association with pediatric stone formation, diagnostic assessment, medical management intervention including medical dissolution and expulsion therapy. The study extended to include the efficacy and safety of extracorporeal lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy and retrograde intrarenal surgery. However, evidence quality was ranked "very-low" or "low". Based on the GRADE criteria downgrading of the quality level was due to heterogeneity and low precision. A majority of the RCTs were categorized as having a "high" to "uncertain" risk of bias. The relevant RCTs, meta-analyses and systematic reviews within the past decade are of low quality. Consequently, the research provided no clear evidence-based recommendations for managing pediatric urolithiasis. More rigorous research and high-quality studies are needed to determine the best practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Chua
- Division of Urology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Institute of Urology, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, Philippines.
| | - Jin Kyu Kim
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica M Ming
- Department of Urology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Keara N De Cotiis
- Division of Urology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Urology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen S Yang
- Division of Urology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, New Taipei Branch, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Mandy Rickard
- Division of Urology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Armando J Lorenzo
- Division of Urology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joana Dos Santos
- Division of Urology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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24
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The Role of Master Protocols in Pediatric Drug Development. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2022; 56:895-902. [PMID: 36045315 PMCID: PMC9433127 DOI: 10.1007/s43441-022-00448-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Master protocols are innovative clinical trial designs that enable new approaches to analytics and operations, creating value for patients and drug developers. To date, the use of master protocols in pediatric drug development has been limited, focused primarily on pediatric oncology with limited experience in rare and ultra-rare pediatric diseases. This article explores the application of master protocols to pediatric programs required by FDA and EMA based on adult developmental programs. These required programs involve multiple assets developed in limited pediatric populations for registrational purposes. However, these required programs include the possibility for extrapolation of efficacy and safety from the adult population. The use of master protocols is a potential solution to the challenge of conducting clinical trials in small pediatric populations provided that such use would improve enrollment or reduce the required sample size. Toward that end, Janssen and Lilly have been working on a collaborative cross-company pediatric platform trial in pediatric Crohn's disease using an innovative Bayesian analysis. We describe how two competing companies can work together to design and execute the proposed platform, focusing on selected aspects-the usefulness of a single infrastructure, the regulatory submission process, the choice of control group, and the use of pediatric extrapolation. Master protocols offer the potential for great benefit in pediatrics by streamlining clinical development, with the goal of reducing the delay in pediatric marketing approvals when compared to adults so that children have timelier access to safe and effective medications.
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25
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Berruti AS, Schaaf RC, Jones EA, Ridgway E, Dumont RL, Leiby B, Sancimino C, Yi M, Molholm S. Notes from an epicenter: navigating behavioral clinical trials on autism spectrum disorder amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the Bronx. Trials 2022; 23:691. [PMID: 35986303 PMCID: PMC9389471 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06635-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic impacted nearly all facets of our daily lives, and clinical research was no exception. Here, we discuss the impact of the pandemic on our ongoing, three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT) in Autism: Mechanisms and Effectiveness (NCT02536365), which investigates the immediate and sustained utility of SIT to strengthen functional daily-living skills and minimize the presence of maladaptive sensory behaviors in autistic children. MAIN TEXT In this text, we detail how we navigated the unique challenges that the pandemic brought forth between the years 2020 and 2021, including the need to rapidly adjust our study protocol, recruitment strategy, and in-person assessment battery to allow for virtual recruitment and data collection. We further detail how we triaged participants and allocated limited resources to best preserve our primary outcome measures while prioritizing the safety of our participants and study team. We specifically note the importance of open and consistent communication with all participating families throughout the pandemic in ensuring all our protocol adjustments were successfully implemented. CONCLUSIONS Though the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented interruption to in-person clinical research, clinical trials have always been and will continue to be at risk for unforeseen interruptions, whether from world events or participants' personal circumstances. By presenting our steps to preserving this RCT throughout the pandemic, we offer suggestions for successfully managing unexpected interruptions to research. Ideally, by taking these into account, future RCTs may be increasingly prepared to minimize the impact of these potential interruptions to research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina S Berruti
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Roseann C Schaaf
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emily A Jones
- Department of Psychology, Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, Queens, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ridgway
- The Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Rachel L Dumont
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin Leiby
- Division of Biostatistics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Catherine Sancimino
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Misung Yi
- Division of Biostatistics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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26
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Morton SU, Schnur M, Kerper R, Young V, O’Connell AE. Premature Infants Have Normal Maturation of the T Cell Receptor Repertoire at Term. Front Immunol 2022; 13:854414. [PMID: 35707545 PMCID: PMC9189380 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.854414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Premature infants are known to have immature immune systems compared to term infants; however, the impacts of ex utero immune development are not well characterized. Our previous retrospective clinical review showed prolonged T cell lymphopenia in a subset of extremely premature infants, suggesting that they may have lasting abnormalities in their T cell compartments. We used T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire sequencing to analyze the composition of the T cell compartment in premature and term infants in our NICU. We collected twenty-eight samples from individual subjects and analyzed the number of clonotypes, repertoire diversity, CDR3 length, and V gene usage between groups based on gestational age at birth and postmenstrual age at the time of sample collection. Further, we examined the TCR repertoire in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and those with abnormal T cell receptor excision circle (TREC) assays. Former extremely premature infants who were corrected to term postmenstrual age had TCR repertoire diversity that was more similar to term born infants than extremely premature infants, supporting normal maturation of the repertoire. Infants with severe BPD did not appear to have increased abnormalities in repertoire diversity. Decreased TCR repertoire diversity was associated with repeatedly abnormal TREC screening, although the diversity was within the normal range for subjects without low TRECs. This study suggests that extremely premature infants demonstrate normal maturation of the T cell repertoire ex utero. Further work is needed to better characterize postnatal T cell development and function in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah U. Morton
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Maureen Schnur
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rylee Kerper
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Vanessa Young
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Amy E. O’Connell
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Amy E. O’Connell,
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27
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Applications, Challenges, and Outlook for PBPK Modeling and Simulation: A Regulatory, Industrial and Academic Perspective. Pharm Res 2022; 39:1701-1731. [PMID: 35552967 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03274-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Several regulatory guidances on the use of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) analyses and physiologically based biopharmaceutics model(s) (PBBM(s)) have been issued. Workshops are routinely held, demonstrating substantial interest in applying these modeling approaches to address scientific questions in drug development. PBPK models and PBBMs have remarkably contributed to model-informed drug development (MIDD) such as anticipating clinical PK outcomes affected by extrinsic and intrinsic factors in general and specific populations. In this review, we proposed practical considerations for a "base" PBPK model construction and development, summarized current status, challenges including model validation and gaps in system models, and future perspectives in PBPK evaluation to assess a) drug metabolizing enzyme(s)- or drug transporter(s)- mediated drug-drug interactions b) dosing regimen prediction, sampling timepoint selection and dose validation in pediatric patients from newborns to adolescents, c) drug exposure in patients with renal and/or and hepatic organ impairment, d) maternal-fetal drug disposition during pregnancy, and e) pH-mediated drug-drug interactions in patients treated with proton pump inhibitors/acid-reducing agents (PPIs/ARAs) intended for gastric protection. Since PBPK can simulate outcomes in clinical studies with enrollment challenges or ethical issues, the impact of PBPK models on waivers and how to strengthen study waiver is discussed.
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28
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Hardin HK, Bender AE, Killion CM, Moore SM. Strategies to Engage Systematically Marginalized Youth and Their Families in Research Using High-Tech Methods. ANS Adv Nurs Sci 2022; Publish Ahead of Print:00012272-990000000-00005. [PMID: 35499466 PMCID: PMC9616962 DOI: 10.1097/ans.0000000000000421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers for engaging youth and families from a historically and systematically marginalized community in high-tech research. Adapting community-based participatory research principles, 4 focus groups were conducted with 13 youth and 12 parents. Using codebook thematic analysis, 5 facilitator themes (develop skills, ensure health, build understanding, promote safety, and help others, youth-initiated interest) and 4 barrier themes (anxiety and fear, skepticism, confusion, and unfamiliar/unknown experience) were identified. Youth and parent responses informed proposed guidelines for recruiting and engaging families in research using high-tech methods, particularly those from historically and systematically marginalized communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather K Hardin
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (Drs Hardin, Killion, and Moore); and Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (Ms Bender)
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29
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Facilitators and barriers for parental consent to pediatric emergency research. Pediatr Res 2022; 91:1156-1162. [PMID: 34088985 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01600-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obtaining informed consent for clinical research in the pediatric emergency department (ED) is challenging. Our objective was to understand the factors that influence parental consent for ED studies. METHODS This was a cross-sectional survey assessing parents' willingness to enroll their children into an ED research study. Parents reporting a willingness to enroll in ED studies were presented with two hypothetical scenarios, a low-risk and a high-risk study, and then asked about decision influencers affecting consent. Parents expressing a lack of willingness to enroll were asked which decision influencers impacted their consent decision. RESULTS Among 118 parents, 90 (76%) stated they would be willing to enroll their child into an ED study; of these, 86 (96%) would consent for a low-risk study and 54 (60%) would consent for a high-risk study. Caucasian parents, and those with previous research exposure, were more likely to report willingness to participate. Those who would consent to the high-risk study cited "benefits that research would provide to future children" most strongly influenced their decision to agree. CONCLUSIONS ED investigators should highlight the benefits for future children and inquire about parents' previous exposure to research to enhance ED research enrollment. Barriers to consent in non-Caucasian families should be further investigated. IMPACT Obtaining consent for pediatric emergency research is challenging and this study identified factors influencing parental consent for research in EDs. Benefits for future children and parents' previous research experience were two of the most influential factors in parents' willingness to consent to ED research studies. These findings will help to improve enrollment in ED research studies and better our understanding of how to promote the health and well-being of pediatric patients.
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30
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Brewster R, Wong M, Magnani CJ, Gunningham H, Hoffer M, Showalter S, Tran K, Steinberg JR, Turner BE, Goodman SN, Schroeder AR. Early Discontinuation, Results Reporting, and Publication of Pediatric Clinical Trials. Pediatrics 2022; 149:185586. [PMID: 35314864 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-052557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Unique ethical, epidemiological, and economic factors are barriers to performing research in children. The landscape of pediatric clinical trials, including drivers of completion and timely dissemination of results, is not well understood. We aimed to characterize the prevalence of and factors associated with early discontinuation, results reporting, and publication of pediatric clinical trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. METHODS Cross-sectional analysis of clinical trials enrolling participants <18 years old registered at ClinicalTrials.gov from October 2007 to March 2020. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to assess the association between trial characteristics and primary outcomes. Publication data were obtained through PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, Embase, and Scopus. RESULTS Overall, 11.1% trials were stopped early, with recruitment failure being the predominant reason for discontinuation. Only 23.5% of completed trials reported results, and 38.8% were published within 3 years of completion. Rates of discontinuation and publication significantly improved over the study period. Among funding sources, government-sponsored trials (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.72; 95% CI, 0.47-0.97) and academic trials (aOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.50-0.82) had lower odds of discontinuation compared with industry trials and were more likely to be published (government: aOR, 1.94 [95% CI, 1.52-2.48] academic: aOR, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.35-1.92). Academic trial investigators were the least likely to report results (aOR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.31-0.52). CONCLUSIONS Early discontinuation and nonreporting/nonpublication of findings remain common in registered pediatric clinical trials and were associated with funding source and other trial features. Targeted efforts are needed to support trial completion and timely results dissemination toward strengthening evidence-based pediatric medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Brewster
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Melissa Wong
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Christopher J Magnani
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | | | - Madison Hoffer
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Samuel Showalter
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Katherine Tran
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jecca R Steinberg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Brandon E Turner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Steven N Goodman
- Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Alan R Schroeder
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
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31
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Song L, Jia Y, Ran S, Li B, Xu J, Huo B, Yin N, Ai M, Liu Y. Current situation of pediatric clinical trials in China: focus on trials for drug marketing application and administrative approval. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:144. [PMID: 35303815 PMCID: PMC8931999 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03208-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research and development of pediatric drug faces many difficulties and pediatric clinical trials remain a challenge. Since 2011, a series of measures have been taken to encourage research, development of drugs for pediatric patients in China. In this study, we analyzed pediatric clinical trials conducted in China to provide reference for research and development of pediatric drugs and formulation of relevant policies. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of pediatric trials registered in the Drug Trial Registration and Information Publication Platform before Oct. 31, 2021. All trials that recruited children (under 18 years old as defined in China) were retrieved and general characteristics of the trials and the research drugs were extracted and analyzed. The data were extracted and statistically analyzed by excel 2010 and SPSS 22.0, respectively. Results There were 588 registered pediatric clinical trials, which accounted for 3.94% of the total registered trials. The overall average annual growth rate of the number of trials from 2013 to 2020 was 14.47% (P < 0.01). Of the 588 trials included, there were 312 trials (53.06%) with only children as subjects, 127 trials (21.60%) with research drugs only for children use, and the median of target subject number was 320 with the range of 8 to 600,000. The sponsors and the principal investigators were mainly located in the eastern and northern China. 325 trials were vaccine trials, and the dosage form was mainly injection. There were 98 non-vaccine biological product trials (mainly injections), 135 chemical compound drug trials (mainly tablets), 30 traditional Chinese medicine/natural drugs (mainly granules). Indications of the non-vaccine drugs were mainly diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism. Conclusion The number of pediatric clinical trials in China has increased these years. To further promote pediatric clinical trials and motivate pediatric appropriate drug marketing application and administrative approval, conducting large pediatric clinical trials, further development of dosage forms suitable for children with special attention to neonates and prematurity, and improving uneven geographical distribution of sponsors and researchers are the current challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Song
- Department of Pharmacy, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation base of Child development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Yuntao Jia
- Department of Pharmacy, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation base of Child development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Sujuan Ran
- Department of Pharmacy, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation base of Child development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Bennian Huo
- Department of Pharmacy, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation base of Child development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Nange Yin
- Department of Pharmacy, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation base of Child development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Maolin Ai
- Department of Pharmacy, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation base of Child development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Yao Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China.
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32
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Parker AE, Scull TM, Morrison AM. DigiKnowIt News: Educating youth about pediatric clinical trials using an interactive, multimedia educational website. J Child Health Care 2022; 26:139-153. [PMID: 33836627 DOI: 10.1177/13674935211003774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric clinical trials allow for the testing of appropriate and effective treatments for children. However, some challenges exist with recruitment. This study examined the effectiveness of DigiKnowIt News, an interactive, multimedia website (which includes activities, videos, and comic books) designed to educate children about clinical trials. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2018 with 91 participants (M age = 10.92 years; SD = 2.06). Participants were randomly assigned to intervention or wait-list control groups and completed questionnaires at pretest and posttest (1 week later) about their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs about clinical trials, and self-efficacy for participating in clinical trials. Participants in the intervention group received access to DigiKnowIt News between pretest and posttest and completed a satisfaction questionnaire at posttest. At the end of the study, participants in the wait-list control group were offered the option to use the website and complete a satisfaction questionnaire. At posttest, participants in the intervention group, compared to participants in the wait-list control group, had more knowledge about clinical trials and more reported confidence for participating in clinical trials. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with DigiKnowIt News. The findings suggest that an educational website can improve factors related to increasing rates of participation in clinical trials.
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Watson SE, Smith P, Snowden J, Vaughn V, Cottrell L, Madden CA, Kong AS, McCulloh R, Stack Lim C, Bledsoe M, Kowal K, McNally M, Knight L, Cowan K, Jimenez EY. Facilitators and Barriers to Pediatric Clinical Trial Recruitment and Retention in Rural and Community Settings: A Scoping Review of the Literature. Clin Transl Sci 2022; 15:838-853. [PMID: 35037409 PMCID: PMC9010274 DOI: 10.1111/cts.13220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Children in rural settings are underrepresented in clinical trials, potentially contributing to rural health disparities. We performed a scoping review describing available literature on barriers and facilitators impacting participation in pediatric clinical trials in rural and community-based (non-clinical) settings. Articles identified via PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science were independently double-screened at title/abstract and full-text levels to identify articles meeting eligibility criteria. Included articles reported on recruitment or retention activities for U.S.-based pediatric clinical studies conducted in rural or community-based settings and were published in English through January 2021. Twenty-seven articles describing 31 studies met inclusion criteria. Most articles reported on at least one study conducted in an urban or suburban or unspecified community setting (n=23 articles; 85%); fewer (n=10; 37%) reported on studies that spanned urban and rural settings or were set in rural areas. More studies discussed recruitment facilitators (n=25 studies; 81%) and barriers (n=19; 61%) versus retention facilitators (n=15; 48%) and barriers (n=8; 26%). Descriptions of recruitment and retention barriers and facilitators were primarily experiential or subjective. Recruitment and retention facilitators were similar across settings and included: contacts/reminders, community engagement and relationship-building, consideration of participant logistics, and incentives. Inadequate staff and resources were commonly cited recruitment and retention barriers. Few studies have rigorously examined optimal ways to recruit and retain rural participants in pediatric clinical trials. To expand the evidence base, future studies examining recruitment and retention strategies should systematically assess and report rurality and objectively compare relative impact of different strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Watson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, and Norton Children's Hospital, Louisville, KY
| | | | | | | | | | - Christi A Madden
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
| | - Alberta S Kong
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Russell McCulloh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE and Children's Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Crystal Stack Lim
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | | | - Karen Kowal
- Nemours Children's Health System, Wilmington, DE
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Siapkara A, Fracasso C, Egger GF, Rizzari C, Trasorras CS, Athanasiou D, Turner MA. Recommendations by the European Network of Paediatric Research at the European Medicines Agency (Enpr-EMA) Working Group on preparedness of clinical trials about paediatric medicines process. Arch Dis Child 2021; 106:1149-1154. [PMID: 33858819 PMCID: PMC8666697 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2020-321433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Conduct of clinical trials in babies, children and young people is often hindered by issues that could have been foreseen before the trial opened; that is, some clinical trials are often underprepared. In order to identify a good approach to trial preparedness, the European Network of Paediatric Research at the European Medicines Agency formed a working group. The Working Group included representation from regulators, industry, academics, paediatric clinical research networks and parents.The Working Group consulted widely about how to prepare for paediatric clinical trials. The Group's detailed recommendations have been published (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/other/preparedness-medicines-clinical-trials-paediatrics-recommendations-enpr-ema-working-group-trial_en.pdf).This paper is a summary of the key recommendations including the following: start early, preferably in parallel to designing the medicine's development plan and individual protocols; identify the rationale and clinical need; listen to the perspectives of children and families, and of patient advocacy groups; identify how many people will be eligible for the trial; identify the resources needed, such as clinical facilities (including play therapy) and out-of-pocket expenditure by participants and their families; use all available data to estimate what is possible; present information about preparedness in a structured way; deploy proportionate resources to support the preparation of trials.A well-prepared, well-designed trial is likely to require fewer changes during its course, be run in a shorter time frame and achieve expected objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeliki Siapkara
- VRNN, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), London, UK
| | | | - Gunter F Egger
- Scientific Evidence Generation Department, European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Carmelo Rizzari
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Milan–Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | | | | | - Mark A Turner
- Institute if Life Course and Medical Sciences, Liverpool Health Partners, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Shneider C, Hilliard ME, Monaghan M, Tully C, Wang CH, Sinisterra M, Jones J, Levy W, Streisand R. Recruiting and retaining parents in behavioral intervention trials: Strategies to consider. Contemp Clin Trials 2021; 108:106502. [PMID: 34237457 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recruitment and retention are paramount to the success of randomized controlled trials (RCTs); however, strategies and challenges to optimize recruitment and retention are often omitted from outcomes papers. The current manuscript presents strategies used to recruit and retain over 97% parents of young children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for over 15-months post-randomization enrolled in First STEPS, a behavioral, two-site RCT. METHOD Participants included 157 primary caregivers of young children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Recruitment and retention strategies are described and include collaboration with medical teams, careful selection and training of study staff, inclusion of a behavioral run-in prior to randomization, financial incentives, creation of a study identity using retention items, obtainment of feedback from community stakeholders, and minimization of participant burden. RESULTS Use of recruitment and retention strategies resulted in enrollment of 58% of eligible and reached families, with retention of the enrolled sample above 97% for over 15 months. Participants reported high acceptability of and satisfaction with specific recruitment and retention strategies. CONCLUSIONS The strategies used to recruit and retain caregivers of young children newly diagnosed with a chronic illness were feasible to implement within multidisciplinary diabetes clinics and may apply to other pediatric populations. Future research may benefit from a focus on strategies to engage more diverse samples. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02527525.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Shneider
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Marisa E Hilliard
- Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Maureen Monaghan
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America; The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Carrie Tully
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America; The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Christine H Wang
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | | | - Jasmine Jones
- Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Wendy Levy
- Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Randi Streisand
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America; The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, United States of America.
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Peterson BS, West AE, Weisz JR, Mack WJ, Kipke MD, Findling RL, Mittman BS, Bansal R, Piantadosi S, Takata G, Koebnick C, Ashen C, Snowdy C, Poulsen M, Arora BK, Allem CM, Perez M, Marcy SN, Hudson BO, Chan SH, Weersing R. A Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) study of medication and CBT sequencing in the treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders. BMC Psychiatry 2021; 21:323. [PMID: 34193105 PMCID: PMC8243307 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-021-03314-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment of a child who has an anxiety disorder usually begins with the question of which treatment to start first, medication or psychotherapy. Both have strong empirical support, but few studies have compared their effectiveness head-to-head, and none has investigated what to do if the treatment tried first isn't working well-whether to optimize the treatment already begun or to add the other treatment. METHODS This is a single-blind Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) of 24 weeks duration with two levels of randomization, one in each of two 12-week stages. In Stage 1, children will be randomized to fluoxetine or Coping Cat Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In Stage 2, remitters will continue maintenance-level therapy with the single-modality treatment received in Stage 1. Non-remitters during the first 12 weeks of treatment will be randomized to either [1] optimization of their Stage 1 treatment, or [2] optimization of Stage 1 treatment and addition of the other intervention. After the 24-week trial, we will follow participants during open, naturalistic treatment to assess the durability of study treatment effects. Patients, 8-17 years of age who are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, will be recruited and treated within 9 large clinical sites throughout greater Los Angeles. They will be predominantly underserved, ethnic minorities. The primary outcome measure will be the self-report score on the 41-item youth SCARED (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders). An intent-to-treat analysis will compare youth randomized to fluoxetine first versus those randomized to CBT first ("Main Effect 1"). Then, among Stage 1 non-remitters, we will compare non-remitters randomized to optimization of their Stage 1 monotherapy versus non-remitters randomized to combination treatment ("Main Effect 2"). The interaction of these main effects will assess whether one of the 4 treatment sequences (CBT➔CBT; CBT➔med; med➔med; med➔CBT) in non-remitters is significantly better or worse than predicted from main effects alone. DISCUSSION Findings from this SMART study will identify treatment sequences that optimize outcomes in ethnically diverse pediatric patients from underserved low- and middle-income households who have anxiety disorders. TRIAL REGISTRATION This protocol, version 1.0, was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on February 17, 2021 with Identifier: NCT04760275 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley S. Peterson
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine at The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Amy E. West
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - John R. Weisz
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
| | - Wendy J. Mack
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine at The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Michele D. Kipke
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine at The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Robert L. Findling
- grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA
| | - Brian S. Mittman
- grid.414895.50000 0004 0445 1191Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Ravi Bansal
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Steven Piantadosi
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XBrigham And Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Glenn Takata
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Corinna Koebnick
- grid.414895.50000 0004 0445 1191Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Ceth Ashen
- Children’s Bureau of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Christopher Snowdy
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine at The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Marie Poulsen
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Bhavana Kumar Arora
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Courtney M. Allem
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Marisa Perez
- Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, Altadena, USA
| | - Stephanie N. Marcy
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Bradley O. Hudson
- grid.239546.f0000 0001 2153 6013Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Robin Weersing
- grid.263081.e0000 0001 0790 1491SDSU-UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
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Arasu K, Chang CY, Wong SY, Ong SH, Yang WY, Chong MHZ, Mavinkurve M, Khoo EJ, Chinna K, Weaver CM, Chee WSS. Design and strategies used for recruitment and retention in a double blind randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of soluble corn fiber on bone indices in pre-adolescent children (PREBONE-Kids study) in Malaysia. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2021; 22:100801. [PMID: 34195468 PMCID: PMC8233130 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recruitment and retention in longitudinal nutrition intervention studies among children is challenging and scarcely reported. This paper describes the strategies and lessons learned from a 1-year randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among pre-adolescent children on the effects of soluble corn fiber (SCF) on bone indices (PREBONE-Kids). Methods Participants (9–11 years old) were recruited and randomized into 4 treatment groups (600 mg calcium, 12 g SCF, 12 g SCF plus 600 mg calcium and placebo). Interventions were consumed as a fruit-flavored powdered drink for 1-year. School-based recruitment was effective due to support on study benefits from parents and teachers, peer influence and a 2-weeks study run-in for participants to assess their readiness to commit to the study protocol. Retention strategies focused on building rapport through school-based fun activities, WhatsApp messaging, providing health screening and travel reimbursements for study measurements. Compliance was enhanced by providing direct on-site school feeding and monthly non-cash rewards. Choice of 2 flavors for the intervention drinks were provided to overcome taste fatigue. Satisfaction level on the manner in which the study was conducted was obtained from a voluntary sub-set of participants. Results The study successfully enrolled 243 participants within 6 months and retained 82.7% of the participants at the end of 1 year, yielding a drop-out rate of 17.3%. Compliance to the intervention drink was 85% at the start and remained at 78.7% at the end of 1 year. More than 95% of the participants provided good feedback on intervention drinks, rapport building activities, communication and overall study conduct. Conclusion Successful strategies focused on study benefits, rapport building, frequent communication using social media and non-cash incentives helped improved compliance and retention rate. The lessons learned to maintain a high retention and compliance rate in this study provide valuable insights for future studies in a similar population. PREBONE-Kids contributes to evidence on the effect of soluble corn fiber on bone indices in pre-adolescent Asian children. School-based recruitment, study nature, perceived benefits and study run-in were effective strategies for recruitment. Rapport building, direct on-site feeding and rewarding protocol adherence were critical for good retention and compliance.
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Key Words
- 25-OHD, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D
- BAP, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase
- BMC, bone mineral content
- BMD, bone mineral density
- CTX, carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks
- Calcium
- Compliance
- DXA, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry
- MET, total metabolic equivalent
- OC, osteocalcin
- P1NP, procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide
- PBM, peak bone mass
- Pre-adolescent children
- SCF, soluble corn fibre
- Soluble corn fiber
- Study retention
- iPTH, intact parathyroid hormone
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanimolli Arasu
- Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, 57000, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chung Yuan Chang
- Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, 57000, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Soon Yee Wong
- Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, 57000, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Shu Hwa Ong
- Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, 57000, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Wai Yew Yang
- Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, 57000, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Megan Hueh Zan Chong
- Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, 57000, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Meenal Mavinkurve
- Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Jalan Rasah, 70300, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Erwin Jiayuan Khoo
- Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Jalan Rasah, 70300, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Karuthan Chinna
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Taylor's University, No 1, Jalan Taylor's, 47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Winnie Siew Swee Chee
- Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, 57000, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Deja E, Peters MJ, Khan I, Mouncey PR, Agbeko R, Fenn B, Watkins J, Ramnarayan P, Tibby SM, Thorburn K, Tume LN, Rowan KM, Woolfall K. Establishing and augmenting views on the acceptability of a paediatric critical care randomised controlled trial (the FEVER trial): a mixed methods study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e041952. [PMID: 33692177 PMCID: PMC7949453 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore parent and staff views on the acceptability of a randomised controlled trial investigating temperature thresholds for antipyretic intervention in critically ill children with fever and infection (the FEVER trial) during a multi-phase pilot study. DESIGN Mixed methods study with data collected at three time points: (1) before, (2) during and (3) after a pilot trial. SETTING English, Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs). PARTICIPANTS (1) Pre-pilot trial focus groups with pilot site staff (n=56) and interviews with parents (n=25) whose child had been admitted to PICU in the last 3 years with a fever and suspected infection, (2) Questionnaires with parents of randomised children following pilot trial recruitment (n=48 from 47 families) and (3) post-pilot trial interviews with parents (n=19), focus groups (n=50) and a survey (n=48) with site staff. Analysis drew on Sekhon et al's theoretical framework of acceptability. RESULTS There was initial support for the trial, yet some held concerns regarding the proposed temperature thresholds and not using paracetamol for pain or discomfort. Pre-trial findings informed protocol changes and training, which influenced views on trial acceptability. Staff trained by the FEVER team found the trial more acceptable than those trained by colleagues. Parents and staff found the trial acceptable. Some concerns about pain or discomfort during weaning from ventilation remained. CONCLUSIONS Pre-trial findings and pilot trial experience influenced acceptability, providing insight into how challenges may be overcome. We present an adapted theoretical framework of acceptability to inform future trial feasibility studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS ISRCTN16022198 and NCT03028818.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Deja
- Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mark J Peters
- Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London, UK
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Imran Khan
- Institute of Population Health Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Paul R Mouncey
- Clinical Trials Unit, Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Rachel Agbeko
- Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | - Padmanabhan Ramnarayan
- Children's Acute Transport Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Shane M Tibby
- Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Evelina London Children's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Kentigern Thorburn
- Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lyvonne N Tume
- School of Health and Society, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Kathryn M Rowan
- Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Kerry Woolfall
- Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Niemeyer L, Mechler K, Buitelaar J, Durston S, Gooskens B, Oranje B, Banaschewski T, Dittmann RW, Häge A. "Include me if you can"-reasons for low enrollment of pediatric patients in a psychopharmacological trial. Trials 2021; 22:178. [PMID: 33648579 PMCID: PMC7923624 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-021-05119-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low recruitment in clinical trials is a common and costly problem which undermines medical research. This study aimed to investigate the challenges faced in recruiting children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial and to analyze reasons for non-participation. The trial was part of the EU FP7 project TACTICS (Translational Adolescent and Childhood Therapeutic Interventions in Compulsive Syndromes). METHODS Demographic data on pre-screening patients were collected systematically, including documented reasons for non-participation. Findings were grouped according to content, and descriptive statistical analyses of the data were performed. RESULTS In total, n = 173 patients were pre-screened for potential participation in the clinical trial. Of these, only five (2.9%) were eventually enrolled. The main reasons for non-inclusion were as follows: failure to meet all inclusion criteria/meeting one or more of the exclusion criteria (n = 73; 42.2%), no interest in the trial or trials in general (n = 40; 23.1%), and not wanting changes to current therapy/medication (n = 14; 8.1%). CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study add valuable information to the existing knowledge on reasons for low clinical trial recruitment rates in pediatric psychiatric populations. Low enrollment and high exclusion rates raise the question of whether such selective study populations are representative of clinical patient cohorts. Consequently, the generalizability of the results of such trials may be limited. The present findings will be useful in the development of improved recruitment strategies and may guide future research in establishing the measurement of representativeness to ensure enhanced external validity in psychopharmacological clinical trials in pediatric populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION EudraCT 2014-003080-38 . Registered on 14 July 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Niemeyer
- Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J 5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Konstantin Mechler
- Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J 5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Jan Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Durston
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bram Gooskens
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bob Oranje
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J 5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ralf W Dittmann
- Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J 5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Alexander Häge
- Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J 5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
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Azzolina D, Lorenzoni G, Bressan S, Da Dalt L, Baldi I, Gregori D. Handling Poor Accrual in Pediatric Trials: A Simulation Study Using a Bayesian Approach. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:2095. [PMID: 33669985 PMCID: PMC7924849 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18042095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In the conduction of trials, a common situation is related to potential difficulties in recruiting the planned sample size as provided by the study design. A Bayesian analysis of such trials might provide a framework to combine prior evidence with current evidence, and it is an accepted approach by regulatory agencies. However, especially for small trials, the Bayesian inference may be severely conditioned by the prior choices. The Renal Scarring Urinary Infection (RESCUE) trial, a pediatric trial that was a candidate for early termination due to underrecruitment, served as a motivating example to investigate the effects of the prior choices on small trial inference. The trial outcomes were simulated by assuming 50 scenarios combining different sample sizes and true absolute risk reduction (ARR). The simulated data were analyzed via the Bayesian approach using 0%, 50%, and 100% discounting factors on the beta power prior. An informative inference (0% discounting) on small samples could generate data-insensitive results. Instead, the 50% discounting factor ensured that the probability of confirming the trial outcome was higher than 80%, but only for an ARR higher than 0.17. A suitable option to maintain data relevant to the trial inference is to define a discounting factor based on the prior parameters. Nevertheless, a sensitivity analysis of the prior choices is highly recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danila Azzolina
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (D.A.); (G.L.); (I.B.)
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Giulia Lorenzoni
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (D.A.); (G.L.); (I.B.)
| | - Silvia Bressan
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (L.D.D.)
| | - Liviana Da Dalt
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (L.D.D.)
| | - Ileana Baldi
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (D.A.); (G.L.); (I.B.)
| | - Dario Gregori
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (D.A.); (G.L.); (I.B.)
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Deja E, Roper L, Tume LN, Dorling J, Gale C, Arch B, Latten L, Pathan N, Eccleson H, Hickey H, Preston J, Beissel A, Andrzejewska I, Valla FV, Woolfall K. Can they stomach it? Parent and practitioner acceptability of a trial comparing gastric residual volume measurement versus no gastric residual volume in UK NNU and PICUs: a feasibility study. Pilot Feasibility Stud 2021; 7:49. [PMID: 33593416 PMCID: PMC7885383 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-021-00784-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Routine measurement of gastric residual volume (GRV) to guide feeding in neonatal and paediatric intensive care is widespread. However, this practice is not evidence based and may cause harm. As part of a feasibility study, we explored parent and practitioner views on the acceptability of a trial comparing GRV measurement or no GRV measurement. METHODS A mixed-methods study involving interviews and focus groups with practitioners and interviews with parents with experience of tube feeding in neonatal and/or paediatric intensive care. A voting system recorded closed question responses during practitioner data collection, enabling the collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. RESULTS We interviewed 31 parents and nine practitioners and ran five practitioner focus groups (n=42). Participants described how the research question was logical, and the intervention would not be invasive and potential benefits of not withholding the child's feeds. However, both groups held concerns about the potential risk of not measuring GRV, including delayed diagnosis of infection and gut problems, increased risk of vomiting into lungs and causing discomfort or pain. Parent's views on GRV measurement and consent decision making were influenced by their views on the importance of feeding in the ICU, their child's prognosis and associated comorbidities or complications. CONCLUSIONS The majority of parents and practitioners viewed the proposed trial as acceptable. Potential concerns and preferences were identified that will need careful consideration to inform the development of the proposed trial protocol and staff training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Deja
- Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Louise Roper
- Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lyvonne N Tume
- School of Health & Society, University of Salford, Manchester, M6 6PU, UK
| | - Jon Dorling
- Division of Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Chris Gale
- Neonatal Medicine, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital campus, London, UK
| | - Barbara Arch
- Medicines for Children Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Trials Research Centre, University of Liverpool Institute of Child Health Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lynne Latten
- Department of Dietetics, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - Nazima Pathan
- Paediatric Intensive Care, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge, Campbridge, UK
| | - Helen Eccleson
- Medicines for Children Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Trials Research Centre, University of Liverpool Institute of Child Health Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Helen Hickey
- Medicines for Children Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Trials Research Centre, University of Liverpool Institute of Child Health Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jenny Preston
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anne Beissel
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon-Bron, France
| | | | - Frédéric V Valla
- Faculty of Health & Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.,Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, CarMEN INSERM UMR 1060 Equipe INFOLIP, Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon-Bron, France
| | - Kerry Woolfall
- Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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De Sutter E, Coopmans B, Vanendert F, Dooms M, Allegaert K, Borry P, Huys I. Clinical Research in Neonates: Redesigning the Informed Consent Process in the Digital Era. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:724431. [PMID: 34540773 PMCID: PMC8441012 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.724431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Currently, many initiatives are devoted to optimizing informed consent for participation in clinical research. Due to the digital transformation in health care, a shift toward electronic informed consent (eIC) has been fostered. However, empirical evidence on how to implement eIC in clinical research involving neonates is lacking. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 health care professionals active in Belgium or the Netherlands. All health care professionals had experience in conducting clinical research involving neonates. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using the framework method. Results: Interviewees generally supported the use of eIC in clinical research involving neonates. For example, eIC could enable parents to receive study feedback via the eIC system. Requirements were expressed for parental involvement to decide on which feedback would be appropriate to return. Moreover, experts specialized in presenting information and designing electronic systems should be involved. Broad consensus among health care professionals indicates that the face-to-face-interaction between parents and the research team is vital to establish a relationship of trust. Therefore, it is necessary that the use of eIC runs alongside personal interactions with the parents. Concerns were raised about the accessibility of eIC to parents. For this reason, it was suggested that parents should always be given the possibility to read and sign a paper-based informed consent form or to use eIC. Conclusions: Health care professionals' views indicate that the use of eIC in clinical research with neonates may offer various opportunities. Further development and implementation will require a multi-stakeholder approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelien De Sutter
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Birte Coopmans
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Femke Vanendert
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marc Dooms
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karel Allegaert
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pascal Borry
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Huys
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Lonhart JA, Edwards AR, Agarwal S, Lucas BP, Schroeder AR. Consent Rates Reported in Published Pediatric Randomized Controlled Trials. J Pediatr 2020; 227:281-287. [PMID: 32599033 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.06.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the average reported consent rate for published pediatric randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and whether this rate varies by trial characteristics. STUDY DESIGN A review of pediatric RCTs published in Medline in 2009, 2010, or 2015 was performed. Secondary analyses of prior trials, trials including adults, trials not requiring consent, or trials with missing or unclear consent data were excluded. Consent rate was defined as the number of patients enrolled divided by number of eligible patients where families were approached. Random effects meta-regression was conducted to determine the weighted average consent rate. RESULTS Of 2347 trials identified, 1651 were excluded. An additional 418 of 696 (60%) were excluded because the consent rate was missing or unclear. The average consent rate for 278 included RCTs was 82.6% (95% CI, 80.3%-84.8%) and was higher for vaccination compared with behavioral trials and for industry-funded compared with National Institutes of Health-funded or other government-funded trials. The average consent rate was <70% for 26% of included trials. Of these trials, US trials (28/77 [36.4%]) had a higher probability of a consent rate of <70% than non-US studies (35/64 [21.3%]) and multinational (9/37 [24.3%]) studies. There was slight variation by funding category. CONCLUSIONS Although the average consent rate for published trials was reasonably high, approximately one-quarter of trials had consent rates of <70%. Consent rates reporting has improved over time, but remains suboptimal. Our findings should assist with the planning of future pediatric RCTs, although consent data from unpublished trials are also needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Swati Agarwal
- Department of Pediatrics, Inova Children's Hospital, Falls Church, VA
| | - Brian P Lucas
- The Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy & Clinical Practice, Hanover, NH
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Harnessing early life immunity to develop a pediatric HIV vaccine that can protect through adolescence. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008983. [PMID: 33180867 PMCID: PMC7660516 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Psioda MA, Xue X. A BAYESIAN ADAPTIVE TWO-STAGE DESIGN FOR PEDIATRIC CLINICAL TRIALS. J Biopharm Stat 2020; 30:1091-1108. [DOI: 10.1080/10543406.2020.1821704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Psioda
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Xiaoqiang Xue
- Center for Statistics of Drug Development, Data Science Safety and Regulatory, IQVIA Inc., Durham, NC, USA
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Systems Biology Approach Identifies Prognostic Signatures of Poor Overall Survival and Guides the Prioritization of Novel BET-CHK1 Combination Therapy for Osteosarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12092426. [PMID: 32859084 PMCID: PMC7564419 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) patients exhibit poor overall survival, partly due to copy number variations (CNVs) resulting in dysregulated gene expression and therapeutic resistance. To identify actionable prognostic signatures of poor overall survival, we employed a systems biology approach using public databases to integrate CNVs, gene expression, and survival outcomes in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult OS patients. Chromosome 8 was a hotspot for poor prognostic signatures. The MYC-RAD21 copy number gain (8q24) correlated with increased gene expression and poor overall survival in 90% of the patients (n = 85). MYC and RAD21 play a role in replication-stress, which is a therapeutically actionable network. We prioritized replication-stress regulators, bromodomain and extra-terminal proteins (BETs), and CHK1, in order to test the hypothesis that the inhibition of BET + CHK1 in MYC-RAD21+ pediatric OS models would be efficacious and safe. We demonstrate that MYC-RAD21+ pediatric OS cell lines were sensitive to the inhibition of BET (BETi) and CHK1 (CHK1i) at clinically achievable concentrations. While the potentiation of CHK1i-mediated effects by BETi was BET-BRD4-dependent, MYC expression was BET-BRD4-independent. In MYC-RAD21+ pediatric OS xenografts, BETi + CHK1i significantly decreased tumor growth, increased survival, and was well tolerated. Therefore, targeting replication stress is a promising strategy to pursue as a therapeutic option for this devastating disease.
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Rickard M, Keefe DT, Drysdale E, Erdman L, Hannick JH, Milford K, Santos JD, Mistry N, Koyle MA, Lorenzo AJ. Trends and relevance in the bladder and bowel dysfunction literature: PlumX metrics contrasted with fragility indicators. J Pediatr Urol 2020; 16:477.e1-477.e7. [PMID: 32684443 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2020.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The concepts of fragility index (FI) and fragility quotient (FQ) have been previously described. PlumX metrics encompass online "footprints" of research in addition to traditional citations. Herein we explore PlumX metrics against the quality of BBD literature. OBJECTIVE To explore altmetrics against the quality of bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD) literature. STUDY DESIGN A literature search was conducted using Pubmed, Medline, Embase for BBD and related terms. A total of 54,045 abstracts were screened, followed by 693 full text reviews and data extraction from 126. Studies were included if they reported on 2 groups being compared, had dichotomous outcomes, and had significant results. RESULTS The median FI score was 4 (0-500) and there were 20 studies which had a FI of 0. The FQ had a median of 0.04 (0-0.32). PlumX usage was 263 ± 540, captures were 45 ± 60 and social media attention was 2 ± 2. Overall, 42% of papers were clinical trials (RCTs). When compared to other study designs, we noted a significant difference in PlumX captures (57 ± 72 RCT vs. 35 ± 47 other; p = 0.03). RCTs had higher usage, social media engagement and citations however, the differences were not significant. H-Index had a significant correlation with FI (p = 0.036), however correlations for PlumX usage and captures, while modestly positive (0.04-0.10) for the FI and FQ, were not significant. A comparison of FI and FQ by topic can be reviewed in the Summary Table. DISCUSSION When considering the FI and FQ robustness indicators of the BBD literature, we found similarities when compared to other studies. It was reported that overall, the hydronephrosis literature was fragile with many studies requiring only a few events to nullify significance, regardless of the study design. Similarly, in a review of pediatric vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) clinical trials, results were also fragile. When comparing fragility measures to altmetric variables we noted that despite the growing popularity of altmetrics, citation counts, and h-indices remain the traditional measures to monitor research consumption. There has been a reported correlation between manuscript citation counts, author h-index, altmetrics measures in several specialties and across many domains of research including medical sciences, arts, and the humanities, however in the present study only weak correlations were noted. CONCLUSION The body of BBD comparative studies is fragile in keeping with other pediatric urology literature populations. Despite fragile results, RCTs generate slightly moreattention as measured by select PlumX metrics. These results suggest the need for including fragility measures in our literature, aiming to focus attention towards more robust articles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Rickard
- Division of Urology, Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Daniel T Keefe
- Division of Urology, Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erik Drysdale
- Center for Computational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren Erdman
- Center for Computational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica H Hannick
- Division of Pediatric Urology, UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Karen Milford
- Division of Urology, Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joana Dos Santos
- Division of Urology, Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Niraj Mistry
- Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin A Koyle
- Division of Urology, Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Armando J Lorenzo
- Division of Urology, Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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A Novel Clinical Research Modality for Enrolling Diverse Participants Using a Diverse Team. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10070434. [PMID: 32650502 PMCID: PMC7408300 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10070434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The advancement of the pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) knowledge base requires biospecimens and data from large samples. This study seeks to describe a novel clinical research modality to establish best practices for enrolling a diverse pediatric TBI population and quantifying key information on enrollment into biobanks. Screening form responses were standardized and cleaned through Google Sheets. Data were used to analyze total individuals at each enrollment stage. R was utilized for final analysis, including logistic model and proportion statistical tests, to determine further significance and relationships. Issues throughout data cleaning shed light on limitations of the consent modality. The results suggest that through a diverse research team, the recruited sample exceeds traditional measures of representation (e.g., sex, race, ethnicity). Sex demographics of the study are representative of the local population. Screening for candidates is critical to the success of the consent modality. The consent modality may be modified to increase the diversity of the study population and accept bilingual candidates. Researchers must implement best practices, including increasing inclusivity of bilingual populations, utilizing technology, and improving participant follow-up, to improve health disparities for understudied clinical populations.
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Major A, Cox SM, Volchenboum SL. Using big data in pediatric oncology: Current applications and future directions. Semin Oncol 2020; 47:56-64. [DOI: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2020.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Rickard M, Lorenzo AJ, Hannick JH, Blais AS, Koyle MA, Bägli DJ. Over-reliance on P Values in Urology: Fragility of Findings in the Hydronephrosis Literature Calls for Systematic Reporting of Robustness Indicators. Urology 2019; 133:204-210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2019.03.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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