Expansion of the clinical trials navigator (CTN) program with staged introduction of the navigator program to demonstrate benefit to availability of the CTN program
Dr. Caroline Hamm
Windsor Regional Hospital
FUNDER: WE-SPARK Igniting Discovery Grant
DURATION: 2023-2024
Clinical trials are essential for cancer patients, yet smaller centres have an enrolment rate of less than 5% as compared to the 18% enrolment rate in larger centres. 60% of Ontario's population lives outside the catchment areas of large academic centres and have significantly lower access to clinical trials. The pilot study of the Clinical Trials Navigator (CTN) program launched at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) in 2019 to overcome this challenge. Of the total 302 patients since the launch of the program, 24% were referred to an interventional clinical trial and 8% were enrolled. To improve patient enrolment in clinical trials in Canada, we will assess the effectiveness of the CTN program at the initial pilot site, as well as expand to two additional sites in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Thunder Bay, Ontario.
By expanding the CTN program nationally to two additional sites in Winnipeg and Thunder Bay, the improvement of physician referral of their patients to clinical trials outside of their home cnacer centre can be demonstrated and analyzed. The feasibility of the interventional CTN program at the two expansion sites can be analyzed prior to the expansion to other sites. Overall, this will improve patient outcomes by increasing accrual to clinical trials.
Co-Investigators:
CancerCare Manitoba
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Collaborators:
Windsor Regional Hospital
- Dr. Roaa Hirmiz
- Renee Nassar
University of Windsor
- Dr. Devinder Moudgil
- Mahmoud Hossami
- Rhonda Abdel-Nabi
- Kayla Touma
- Olla Hilal
- Dr. Dora Cavallo-Medved
- Youshaa El-Abed
- Milicia Paunic
- Dr. Abdulkadir Hussein
Western University - Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Windsor Campus
- Claire Rim
- Farwa Zaib
- Maegan Miklas
- Melissa Fenech
