IWF Blogs

I’d like to introduce my colleague Amit Patel, M.Sc. in Clinical Research.

He works as a Clinical Research Practitioner at the Research & Innovation Centre at RNOH. Amit joined our department in 2015. He previously worked for Quintiles Drug Research Unit at Guy’s Hospital, a leading Clinical Research Organisation.

He has been challenged in many different ways transitioning from industry into the NHS. Amit worked mainly on Phase 1 drug trials, and was responsible for many clinical duties as well as preparing source document worksheets and data entry.

Amit reflects on his previous role: ‘we had to know the protocol inside out, and together with the nursing staff I would prepare the source data worksheets for drug administration. Once the study was underway we had a constant steady flow of participants. It was very busy, we needed to be accurate and the data collected was very fast and copious.’

Amit had a very specific role at Quintiles and was part of a large Multi-disciplinary team, everyone having their role to play. At RNOH Amit has input into his studies right from the outset and has been involved with preparing workbook, source data sheets, consenting patients and all aspects of EDC data input and follow up of patients. Amit communicates trial design and imaging requirements with our Scanning Department plus exporting scans and blood processing and shipping.

The Role Profile that Amit has completed using the IWF (see photo) highlights areas that he needs to develop. This may not have been so obvious from his CV; he is an accomplished Clinical Practitioner, with excellent skills. Yet before he joined RNOH, Amit had never taken consent from a patient to join a study. The IWF is a great tool for identifying learning needs and opportunities for development. It shows that Clinical Research really is a team effort.

To conclude, Amit shared a very useful exercise - 'Lessons Learnt' which his previous team did when a study ends. The team would gather to discuss the study, all the moments of success and the pitfalls and problems they encountered. They came together to share ideas about how to improve the way they work. I’m sure a lot of team do this in their own way but a designated time and place is good practice.

Deirdre Brooking is a Senior Clinical Research Practitioner at the Research and Innovation Centre, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust in Middlesex.

December 2017