The goal of the Oklahoma Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (OPCTN) is to provide access for theunderserved rural urban minority, and American Indian populations of children in Oklahoma to state-of-the-artclinical trials and the transfer of findings that will benefit the health of those children. The OPCTN will be amember of the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN). The ISPCTN will facilitate theinvolvement of sites in IDeA states to participate in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes(ECHO) study will focus on four primary ears of child health: 1) upper and lower airway disease, 2) obesity; 3)pre-, peri-, and postnatal outcomes; and 4) neurodevelopment. These are each areas of substantial healthconcern for Oklahoma. The OPCTN will accomplish its goals by assembling a diverse mixture of resources within Oklahoma. It willbe centered in the Department of Pediatrics and the Oklahoma Clinical and Translational Science Institute atthe University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. It combines the resources of Oklahoma's IDeA-CTR, theOklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources, with academic physicians at the state's allopathicmedical school, providers in Oklahoma urban and rural communities, and practice-based research networks inorder to broaden the opportunities for children in Oklahoma to participate in clinical research studies. TheOPCTN will engage with community consultant groups that represent the American Indian, Latino/Hispanic,and African American communities as well as county-based health improvement organizations within the stateto allow their input on research project design, implementation, and community participatory interest. TheOPCTN will also train a cadre of pediatric clinicians that will be experienced in the design and conduct ofclinical trials in order to increase the capacity of the medical community in the state to conduct clinical andtranslational research efforts.
We propose the Oklahoma Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (OPCTN) as a site in the IDeA States PediatricClinical Trials Network (ISPCTN). This project will accomplish three goals: 1) The establishment of the OPCTNto collaborate with the other network sites and the Data Coordinating and Operating Center of the ISPCTN. 2)Provide access to clinical trials to traditionally underserved rural; urban minority; and American Indianpopulations in Oklahoma by further developing relationships with healthcare providers; developing a cadre ofwell-trained pediatric clinicians experienced in the design and conduct of clinical trials; and by engaging withthe ISPCTN to increase participation of Oklahoma children in research studies and clinical trials. 3)Disseminate research findings to a broad collection of stakeholders in the state; including those that serverural; urban minority; and American Indian populations.
| 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 |
