Testimonials
Recruitment Tips from sites:
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
Our centre is an ideal position to actively identify and recruit participants to the ATNEC study. Here at City Hospital, we have a dedicated weekly MDT meeting which aids screening eligible participants. The MDT meeting allows colleagues the opportunity to ask study related questions and refer eligible participants to the PI or research team. We ensure all MDT members are aware and trained for the ATNEC study. We have high study awareness in the Breast Unit with posters clearly displayed in the waiting arrears and this supports patient awareness.
Potential participants are normally approached at an early stage of diagnosis by one the breast surgeons. It’s very important to provide the participants with as much time as needed to consider taking part in the trial. This is a very overwhelming time for participants and their families with many factors to consider and coordinate. The participant is provided with an introduction to ATNEC in clinic with the research team and given a PIS - they are advised to watch the YouTube videos before reading the PIS. The videos are a great tool in explaining the study in an easy to understand format. There has been a lot of positive feedback regarding the content and accessibility of the study information.
The participants are followed up by telephone about a week later by the clinical research practitioner. The participants are encouraged to ask questions at each stage so it’s clear what the study treatment arms entail and allows individuals to make a fully informed decision as to whether to take part. Questions from family members are encouraged at all times. If they indicate they would like to take part, further study appointments will be arranged.
We are very lucky that the PI is very dedicated and motivates the team. She is very proactive in all stages of the study and accessible to answer any queries and supports other investigators with trial appointments and documentation. Having open lines of communication within the team helps to coordinate meetings and appointments. The Radiology team is flexible and on board and are willing to mark nodes at short notice to minimise patients’ visits.
We are proud to announce we have recently randomised our first patient to the study. This is a major milestone for us, and we hope to continue.
Recruitment Tips from sites:
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
At our Centre, we believe we have been successful in recruiting patients by actively screening at all MDT meetings and by having a clinical research nurse attending each MDT to identify eligible patients. To ensure we are able to offer the trial to all eligible patients, all members of the team are proactively involved in identifying suitable candidates.
Eligible patients are counselled for the trial by our Consultant Breast Surgeons usually at the time of receiving their results. We believe that introducing the trial early allows each patient as much time as possible to consider participation in the trial; this ensures each patient is communicated to clearly about the trial and is given a detailed explanation of how the ATNEC trial works. A copy of the PIS is given and an introduction to the Research Nurse who will arrange a follow up telephone consultation around a week later. The research nurse can, at that point, answer any questions the patient or their family members may have and confirm if they have would like to consent to participate in the trial. Further meetings to discuss the trial can be made if required.
We are fortunate that our Principal Investigator is happy to be contacted to answer any queries from the team which ensures any queries are dealt with efficiently to reduce any delays. We have worked as a team to streamline the ATNEC pathway, having regular meeting to resolve any problems and embed the trial within the Centre, we now have dedicated radiology research appointments each week which allows us to facilitate any additional trial requirements.
Kaitlin Duckworth
Breast Research Nurse
