Correlates of intimate relationship satisfaction among investigators of child sexual abuse material

Introduction

This study investigates correlates of intimate relationship satisfaction among investigators of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Previous research has shown that exposure to CSAM content can negatively impact investigators' emotional wellbeing, but little is known about its association with their intimate relationships.

Methods

The study included 500 participants who were police investigators, forensic examiners, and other professionals connected with the criminal justice system in the United States that are exposed to CSAM as part of their profession. The study collected data through an anonymous survey administered via the Qualtrics online survey system.

Results

The findings reveal that higher levels of depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder are associated with lower relationship satisfaction among CSAM investigators. Additionally, group connectedness is positively related to relationship satisfaction for both men and women. Parent investigators also reported lower relationship satisfaction, suggesting unique challenges faced by this subgroup. Exposure to varying types of CSAM content was not significantly related to lower relationship satisfaction. This study highlights the association between depressive symptoms and PTSD with relationship satisfaction among CSAM investigators, emphasizing the role of group connectedness in promoting positive outcomes for both male and female investigators.

Discussion

Recognizing the association between depressive symptoms and PTSD with relationship satisfaction can guide interventions and support services for investigators, promoting group connectedness and addressing mental health concerns to enhance resilience and effectiveness in combating child exploitation.

PMDedu: Assessing the educational needs of startups and academic investigators focused on pediatric medical device development

Background

The pediatric medical device development (PMDD) process is highly complex, beset by a variety of financial, technical, medical, and regulatory barriers. Startup company innovators and academic investigators often struggle with accessing specialized knowledge relating to regulatory requirements, product development, research, and marketing strategies.

Objectives

The West Coast Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP) conducted an educational needs assessment to understand knowledge gaps and inform our educational strategy.

Methods

We surveyed a total of 49 medical device startups and 52 academic investigators. Electronic surveys were developed for each group on Qualtrics and focused on manufacturing, regulatory, research, commercialization, and funding. Descriptive statistics were used.

Results

A larger proportion of academic investigator respondents had a clinical background compared to the startup respondents (45% vs. 22%). The biggest barriers for academic investigators were understanding regulatory and safety requirements testing (52%) and finding and obtaining non-dilutive funding was the most difficult (54%). Among startups, understanding clinical research methods and requirements was the biggest barrier (79%).

Conclusion

Startup companies and academic investigators have similar, but not identical, educational needs to better understand the PMD development process. Investigators need more support in identifying funding sources, while startup companies identified an increased need for education on research regulatory topics. These findings can help guide curriculum development as well as opportunities for partnerships between academia and startups.

Challenges Facing Arab Researchers in Publishing Scientific Research: A Qualitative Interview Study

Background

Studies have shown an underrepresentation of researchers from lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the research literature compared with their counterparts in high-income countries. We aimed to explore Arab researchers' challenges regarding conducting and publishing research in peer-reviewed journals.

Methods

We used a descriptive qualitative study design of semi-structured in-depth interviews. Using purposive sampling, we recruited participants from four Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and translated to English if the original language was Arabic or French. We analyzed the transcripts using reflexive thematic analysis. Several authors independently coded the transcripts and agreed on the identified codes, themes, and subthemes.

Results

We performed 17 interviews: three from Egypt, six from Jordan, four from Morocco, and four from Sudan. Our participants' comments were divided into three broad categories with associated themes and subthemes. The first regards the conduct of research (themes of inadequate quality of research, insufficient research resources, and nonsuppurative research environment). The second category involves the publishing process (themes of poor scientific writing skills and difficulties navigating the publishing and peer-reviewed system). The third regards international collaborations and the final category recommends methods to address the challenges. Our recommendations include: enhancing the institutional research culture, increasing funding mechanisms, establishing mentoring programs and workshops on research methodology and scientific writing, and increasing the representation of LMICs on the editorial staff.

Conclusions

Identifying the challenges of Arab researchers in publishing original and quality research would guide programs tailored and targeted toward Arab scholars' needs.

Creating and Implementing a Principal Investigator Tool Kit for Enhancing Accrual to Late Phase Clinical Trials: Development and Usability Study

Background

Accrual to oncology clinical trials remains a challenge, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. For late phase clinical trials funded by the National Cancer Institute, the development of these research protocols is a resource-intensive process; however, mechanisms to optimize patient accrual after trial activation are underdeveloped across the National Clinical Trial Network (NCTN). Low patient accrual can lead to the premature closure of clinical trials and can ultimately delay the availability of new, potentially life-saving therapies in oncology.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to formally create an easily implemented tool kit of resources for investigators of oncology clinical trials within the NCTN, specifically the NRG Oncology cooperative group, in order to optimize patient accrual.

Methods

NRG Oncology sought to formally develop a tool kit of resources to use at specific time points during the lifetime of NRG Oncology clinical trials. The tools are clearly described and involve the facilitation of engagement of the study principal investigator with the scientific and patient advocate community during the planning, activation, and accrual periods. Social media tools are also leveraged to enhance such engagement. The principal investigator (PI) tool kit was created in 2019 and thereafter piloted with the NRG Oncology/Alliance NRG-LU005 phase II or III trial in small-cell lung cancer. The PI tool kit was developed by the NRG Oncology Protocol Operations Management committee and was tested with the NRG/Alliance LU005 randomized trial within the NCTN.

Results

NRG Oncology/Alliance NRG-LU005 has seen robust enrollment, currently 127% of the projected accrual. Importantly, many of the tool kit elements are already being used in ongoing NRG Oncology trials, with 56% of active NRG trials using at least one element of the PI tool kit and all in-development trials offered the resource. This underscores the feasibility and potential benefits of deploying the PI tool kit across all NRG Oncology trials moving forward.

Conclusions

While clinical trial accrual can be challenging, the PI tool kit has been shown to augment accrual in a low-cost and easily implementable fashion. It could be widely and consistently deployed across the NCTN to improve accrual in oncology clinical trials.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03811002; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03811002

Ethical commitments, principles, and practices guiding intracranial neuroscientific research in humans

Leveraging firsthand experience, BRAIN-funded investigators conducting intracranial human neuroscience research propose two fundamental ethical commitments: (1) maintaining the integrity of clinical care and (2) ensuring voluntariness. Principles, practices, and uncertainties related to these commitments are offered for future investigation.

Compliance of Mumbai-based clinical trial sites with the Quality Council of India guidelines and evaluation of the challenges faced by the investigators

Purpose

A committee chaired by Dr. Ranjit Roy Chaudhary suggested accreditation of investigators, sites and ethics committees to improve the quality of trial conduct in the country. Prior to accreditation, understanding the challenges faced at the sites by investigators could help define the extent of the problem and identify potential solutions. Hence, we conducted the present study.

Methods

Institutional Ethics Committee approval and written informed consent was obtained prior to enrolment. A checklist and a questionnaire was used to assess compliance to Quality Council of India (QCI) standards and the challenges faced by the sites and investigators respectively. Mumbai based investigators listed in the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI) were enrolled. The responses obtained were analysed descriptively. The responses to each question in the checklist were calculated as a proportion and response to each item in the questionnaire was calculated in frequency and percent frequency. All the analysis was done using Microsoft Excel version 2013.

Results

A total of 30 investigators from 69 clinical trial sites agreed to participate. We found that over 80% of the sites complied with standards recommended by the QCI guideline. The most frequently reported issues at the site were lack of space for archival (25%), no System to evaluate adequacy of training (31.81%) and lack of understanding of the technical language of the informed consent form (39.02%).

Conclusion

There is a need of coordinated effort between all the stakeholders to improve the clinical trial conduct at the site.

COVID-19: Challenges and Lessons Learned from Early Career Investigators

In March 2020, the United States experienced an unprecedented event that suddenly demanded that researchers cease all nonessential activities to mitigate the rapid spread of the SARS-CoV2. Within the research community, the impact of this cessation on early career investigators was significant, in part because the support systems (i.e., mentors and institutions) that early career investigators typically rely on were also significantly impacted. This article presents the stories of the impact of COVID-19 on early career investigators within the NIH Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health and Women's Reproductive Health Research K12 career development programs. We discuss the common challenges that we faced across our respective fields ranging from basic to clinical to epidemiological women's health research, including the impact it had on our career trajectories. In addition, we share lessons learned in an effort to strengthen our research workforce and increase our resiliency during this and future challenges.

Safeguarding Participants in Psychiatric Genetic Research: Perspectives of Key Stakeholder Groups

Public trust in research depends on implementation of research protections. Genetic and psychiatric research may elicit "exceptionalism," the belief that these types of research deserve special protections. Genetic information has been viewed as different from other health information. Psychiatric research has been scrutinized based on concerns about the impact of psychiatric illness on individuals' abilities to make decisions. This study compared four stakeholder groups' attitudes toward research safeguards. Psychiatric genetic researchers and institutional review board chairs received structured surveys. Individuals with mental illness and family members participated in semistructured interviews. Paired sample t-tests were used to compare mean ratings of importance of safeguard procedures for genetic versus nongenetic research on physical versus mental illnesses. All groups provided higher ratings for the importance of safeguards for genetic research and for mental illness. Individuals with mental illness and family members rated the importance of safeguards more highly than researchers and chairs did. Results of generalized linear models showed significant effects of gender and ethnicity.

Challenges in recruitment and retention of clinical trial subjects

BACKGROUND

Successful recruitment of patients is known to be one of the most challenging aspects in conduct of randomized controlled trials. Inadequate patient retention during conduct of trial affects conclusive results.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the level of challenges faced by Indian investigators in recruitment and retention of trial subjects.

METHODS

We developed a survey questionnaire on challenges encountered by investigators in subject recruitment and retention which was hosted on a web portal.

RESULTS

Seventy-three investigators from India participated in the survey. The frequently encountered challenges in subject recruitment were complexity of study protocol (38%), lack of awareness about clinical trials in patients (37%), and sociocultural issues related to trial participation (37%). About 63% of participants strongly agreed that creating a positive awareness about clinical trials among people through press and media, having a dedicated clinical research coordinator for trial (50.7%), and designing a recruitment strategy prior to study initiation (46.6%) would enhance recruitment. Almost 50.7% of participants agreed that interacting with medical community in vicinity of the study site and educating patients about clinical trials during routine outpatient department visits (46.6%) would enhance recruitment. Experiencing a serious adverse event, subject's fear for study procedures (47%) and side effects (44%) were thought to have a moderate effect on subject retention.

CONCLUSION

Our survey has put forth factors related to negative publicity by media, lack of patient education about clinical trials; complex study designs are barriers to clinical trial recruitment in India. It is essential to devise innovative and effective strategies focusing on education of public and mass media about clinical research in India.

Opinions and perceptions regarding the impact of new regulatory guidelines: A survey in Indian Clinical Trial Investigators

Background:

Clinical research in India experienced dramatic changes with series of stringent guidelines introduced by regulatory authorities. These guidelines posed significant challenges for the clinical trial industry.

Objective:

To assess the perceptions and opinion of Indian Investigators about the new regulatory guidelines.

Methods:

We developed a survey questionnaire on recent regulatory guidelines which was hosted on a web portal. Seventy-three investigators from India participated in the survey.

Results:

Central registration of Ethics Committees (ECs) was agreed by 90.1% participants, 76.8% participants agreed to compensation of subjects for study related Serious Adverse Events (SAE's). The compulsion to include government sites in clinical trials was not agreed by 49.3% participants while 21.2% agreed to it. Restriction on a number of trials per investigator was agreed by 49.3% of participants while 40.9% disagreed. Participants (50.7%) disagreed to the introduction of audio-video (AV) recording of informed consent, 36.6% agreed and 12.7% were neutral.

Discussion:

Participants observed that post central registration; ECs have improved systems with adequate member composition, functional Standard Operating Procedures, and timely approvals. Participants agreed that compensation of study related SAE's would assure subject protection and safety. The introduction of AV consenting was strongly debated sighting sociocultural issues in the implementation of the same.

Conclusion:

Participants endorsed guidelines pertaining to the central registration of ECs, SAE related compensation. Restrictions on a number of trials per investigator and AV consenting were debated ardently. The response of the survey participants who are clinical trial investigators in India showed general acceptance, effectiveness and anticipated compliance to the new regulatory guidelines.

A study of practical parameters and their relative importance as perceived by various stakeholders in clinical trials

A contract research organization (CRO) is a company which conducts a Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in clinical trial. There are literally hundreds of CROs worldwide employing a workforce of nearly 100,000 professionals. The project proposes the study of practical parameters and their relative importance as perceived by the various stakeholders in clinical trials. The survey was conducted in Bangalore and New Delhi. Primary market data was obtained by primary market research which included 80 clinical trial stakeholders by having a preliminary communication with them, followed by administering a questionnaire along with prior permission. There were 15 Sponsors/ CROs, 27 Investigators /Monitors and 38 Ethics committee members involved in the study. It was shown from the study that a clinical investigator involved in a clinical trial is responsible for ensuring that an investigation is conducted according to the signed investigator statement, the investigational plan, and applicable regulations; for protecting the rights, safety, and welfare of the subjects under the investigator’s care; and for the control of drugs under investigation. It was also shown from the study that the sponsors of a clinical trial carry the ultimate responsibility for the initiation, management and financing of the clinical trial. The study has identified a specific training need at the level of the individual stakeholder to perform a particular job function and to identify the actual practical parameters in the Indian context important for the conduction of clinical trials (GCP) with respect to the different stakeholders, to determine the relative importance of these parameters as perceived by various stakeholders involved in clinical trials, and to identify the relative contributions of different stakeholders to the success/ satisfactory conduct of a clinical trial.