Clinical Trials Handbook

Best practices for conducting effective and safe clinical trials Clinical trials are arguably the most important steps in proving drug effectiveness and safety for public use. They require intensive planning and organization and involve a wide range of disciplines: data management, biostatistics, pharmacology, toxicology, modeling and simulation, regulatory monitoring, ethics, and particular issues for given disease areas. Clinical Trials Handbook provides a comprehensive and thorough reference on the basics and practices of clinical trials. With contributions from a range of international authors, the book takes the reader through each trial phase, technique, and issue. Chapters cover every key aspect of preparing and conducting clinical trials, including: Interdisciplinary topics that have to be coordinated for a successful clinical trialData management (and adverse event reporting systems) Biostatistics, pharmacology, and toxicology Modeling and simulation Regulatory monitoring and ethics Particular issues for given disease areas-cardiology, oncology, cognitive, dementia, dermatology, neuroscience, and more With unique information on such current issues as adverse event reporting (AER) systems, adaptive trial designs, and crossover trial designs, Clinical Trials Handbook will be a ready reference for pharmaceutical scientists, statisticians, researchers, and the many other professionals involved in drug development.

A systematic approach to all aspects of designing and conducting clinical trials The success or failure of clinical trials hinges on hundreds of details that need to be developed, often under less than ideal conditions. Written by one of the world's leading trialists, Clinical Trials Handbook: Design and Conduct provides clinicians with a complete guide to designing, conducting, and evaluating clinical trials—teaching them how to simplify the process and avoid costly mistakes. The author draws on his extensive clinical trials experience to outline all steps employed in setting up and running clinical trials, from budgeting and fundraising to publishing the results. Along the way, practical advice is offered while also addressing a mix of logistical, ethical, psychological, behavioral, and administrative issues inherent to clinical trials. Topics of coverage include: Protocols for drug masking, controls, and treatment randomization Consent, enrollment, eligibility, and follow-up procedures Different types of sample size design and data collection and processing Working with study centers, research staff, and various committees Monitoring treatment effects and performance, and ensuring quality control Data analysis and access policies for study data and documents Clinical Trials Handbook is invaluable for practicing clinicians and trialists who would like to learn more about or improve their understanding of the design and execution of clinical trials. The book is also an excellent supplement for courses on clinical trials at the graduate level.

A Practical Guide to Managing Clinical Trials is a basic, comprehensive guide to conducting clinical trials. Designed for individuals working in research site operations, this user-friendly reference guides the reader through each step of the clinical trial process from site selection, to site set-up, subject recruitment, study visits, and to study close-out. Topics include staff roles/responsibilities/training, budget and contract review and management, subject study visits, data and document management, event reporting, research ethics, audits and inspections, consent processes, IRB, FDA regulations, and good clinical practices. Each chapter concludes with a review of key points and knowledge application. Unique to this book is "A View from India," a chapter-by-chapter comparison of clinical trial practices in India versus the U.S. Throughout the book and in Chapter 10, readers will glimpse some of the challenges and opportunities in the emerging and growing market of Indian clinical trials.

Law/Ethics

Condensing the most important topics in all of clinical research in an easy to understand presentation. The 20 percent of what you need to know in order to be 80 percent proficient!The authors who have operated various levels of businesses in the clinical research industry since 2005 believe that more practical information pertaining to clinical research needs to be accessible to individuals who are new to the industry or are curious about entering the rewarding world of clinical trials.This book reads in an easy to understand style and is based on proven methods the authors have developed to train their own employees and students of their various clinical research academies throughout the years. Picking this up and absorbing the information will allow anyone to gain much better insight into the complicated dynamics of clinical research. This practical roadmap is all you will need to get started on your clinical trial journey!In this book you will learn about:Regulations and the history as well as evolution of GCP.Clinical Research Site OperationsMonitoring Dynamics and Typical Monitoring VistsCRO ActivitiesSponsor Level DynamicsIndustry VendorsCommon Career Opportunities and Employment Roadmaps

This classic reference, now updated with the newest applications and results, addresses the fundamentals of such trials based on sound scientific methodology, statistical principles, and years of accumulated experience by the three authors.

With over 80 information-packed chapters, Handbook for Clinical Research delivers the practical insights and expert tips necessary for successful research design, analysis, and implementation. Using clear language and an accessible bullet point format, the authors present the knowledge and expertise developed over time and traditionally shared from mentor to mentee and colleague to colleague. Organized for quick access to key topics and replete with practical examples, the book describes a variety of research designs and statistical methods and explains how to choose the best design for a particular project. Research implementation, including regulatory issues and grant writing, is also covered. The book opens with a section on the basics of research design, discussing the many ways in which studies can be organized, executed, and evaluated. The second section is devoted to statistics and explains how to choose the correct statistical approach and reviews the varieties of data types, descriptive and inferential statistics, methods for demonstrating associations, hypothesis testing and prediction, specialized methods, and considerations in epidemiological studies and measure construction. The third section covers implementation, including how to develop a grant application step by step, the project budget, and the nuts and bolts of the timely and successful completion of a research project and documentation of findings: procedural manuals and case report forms collecting, managing and securing data operational structure and ongoing monitoring and evaluation and ethical and regulatory concerns in research with human subjects. With a concise presentation of the essentials for successful research, the Handbook for Clinical Research is a valuable addition to the library of any student, research professional, or clinician interested in expanding the knowledge base of his or her field. Key Features: Delivers the essential elements, practical insights, and trade secrets for ensuring successful research design, analysis, and implementation Presents the nuts and bolts of statistical analysis Organized for quick access to a wealth of information Replete with practical examples of successful research designs Û from single case designs to meta-analysis - and how to achieve them Addresses research implementation including regulatory issues and grant writing "

"The publication of the second edition of this manual comes at an important juncture in the history of clinical research. As advances in information technology make it possible to link individuals and groups in diverse locations in jointly seeking the answers to pressing global health problems, it is critically important to remain vigilant about moral and ethical safeguards for every patient enrolled in a trial. Those who study this manual will be well aware of how to ensure patient safety along with fiscal responsibility, trial efficiency, and research integrity." —Robert Harrington, Professor of Medicine, Director, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) is one of the world's leading academic clinical research organizations; its mission is to develop and share knowledge that improves the care of patients around the world through innovative clinical research. This concise handbook provides a practical "nuts and bolts" approach to the process of conducting clinical trials, identifying methods and techniques that can be replicated at other institutions and medical practices. Designed for investigators, research coordinators, CRO personnel, students, and others who have a desire to learn about clinical trials, this manual begins with an overview of the historical framework of clinical research, and leads the reader through a discussion of safety concerns and resulting regulations. Topics include Good Clinical Practice, informed consent, management of subject safety and data, as well as monitoring and reporting adverse events. Updated to reflect recent regulatory and clinical developments, the manual reviews the conduct of clinical trials research in an increasingly global context. This new edition has been further expanded to include: In-depth information on conducting clinical trials of medical devices and biologics The role and responsibilities of Institutional Review Boards, and Recent developments regarding subject privacy concerns and regulations. Ethical documents such as the Belmont Report and the Declaration of Helsinki are reviewed in relation to all aspects of clinical research, with a discussion of how researchers should apply the principles outlined in these important documents. This graphically appealing and eminently readable manual also provides sample forms and worksheets to facilitate data management and regulatory record retention; these can be modified and adapted for use at investigative sites.

In this revised third edition of the essential reference for clinical research coordinators (CRCs), Deborrah Norris provides expanded coverage of CRC duties and regulatory requirements, including new sections on investigator responsibilities, data clarification, and adverse event reporting. The book's five appendices include a directory of CRC resources, updated forms and checklists, state regulatory requirements and contact information, conversion charts and tables, a glossary, and more.

Healthcare providers, consumers, researchers and policy makers are inundated with unmanageable amounts of information, including evidence from healthcare research. It has become impossible for all to have the time and resources to find, appraise and interpret this evidence and incorporate it into healthcare decisions. Cochrane Reviews respond to this challenge by identifying, appraising and synthesizing research-based evidence and presenting it in a standardized format, published in The Cochrane Library (www.thecochranelibrary.com). The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions contains methodological guidance for the preparation and maintenance of Cochrane intervention reviews. Written in a clear and accessible format, it is the essential manual for all those preparing, maintaining and reading Cochrane reviews. Many of the principles and methods described here are appropriate for systematic reviews applied to other types of research and to systematic reviews of interventions undertaken by others. It is hoped therefore that this book will be invaluable to all those who want to understand the role of systematic reviews, critically appraise published reviews or perform reviews themselves.