Dartmouth is home to a robust pediatric academic program centered in the Children's Hospital atDartmouth (CHaD). While it can demonstrate pockets of excellence in clinical trials targeting childrenand pregnant women, it lacks a coordinated home to resource such trial activities and to fosterprofessional development. The IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN) offers a timelyopportunity to craft a center for pediatric clinical trials, to leverage existing resources and develop newones, to recruit investigators and groups to this core, and to engage local as well as multi-centerclinical trials. Organization of our regional presence in the form of the Dartmouth Regional PediatricClinical Trials Unit (DRP-CTU) will allow recruitment of a diverse pediatric population, including thosewho are rural and underserved.To accomplish this, we propose a partnership of three Enrollment Centers, one located at Dartmouth-Hitchcock-Lebanon (Coordinating Center), one at DH-Manchester (urban with large rural catchmentarea), and one at the Dartmouth CO-OP (extensive rural access) ? to provide flexible and robustaccess to regional populations. A Senior Advisory Committee composed of campus leaders willprovide guidance and support navigation of institutional challenges.We will also engage local and ISPCTN resources to establish a program of faculty and staffprofessional development and create a Mentoring Committee for pro-active implementation. Finally,we plan to stimulate and support our pediatric research community in the multicenter study ofpediatric conditions and processes. We also plan to collaborate with our neighboring ISPCTNapplicant - the University of Vermont Children's Hospital - and conduct a joint Pediatric Clinical TrialsForum annually.This initiative will provide a much-needed central coordinating platform for the conduct of pediatricclinical trials in the Dartmouth community. It will support existing and new investigators, expandingour clinical trials universe, stimulating expansion of our portfolio, and offering new opportunities forprofessional development with the resultant recruitment/training of new faculty and research staff.!
The Dartmouth Regional Pediatric Clinical Trials Unit will establish a clinical trials home in the Northern NewEngland region for the support and implementation of studies investigating pediatric diseases. This Unit willparticipate in the larger IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network with the goal of advancing knowledge ofpediatric disease processes and advancing treatment approaches.
| Snowden, Jessica; Darden, Paul; Palumbo, Paul et al. (2018) The institutional development award states pediatric clinical trials network: building research capacity among the rural and medically underserved. Curr Opin Pediatr 30:297-302 |
