The Benefits of Integrating Clinical Trials at the Community Level
I am a family practice doctor for a small multispecialty practice in Stephenville, Texas, a small town near Fort Worth. About four years ago, our medical group, Privia Health, partnered with an integrated research organization (IRO) to bring clinical trials to our clinic and our patients. The IRO, Javara, provides the staff, expertise, and resources necessary for a clinic to conduct clinical research, and this support allowed me to become the primary investigator in a clinical trial for the first time. I found the process exciting and manageable, and I have now been a primary investigator for 18 trials.
I strongly recommend choosing a research organization that will embed staff and equipment within your organization. Having the organization and the research onsite makes it possible to do clinical research while continuing with the usual clinic responsibilities. The research is woven into the daily rhythm of the practice.
The onsite staff support investigators and ensure compliance with clinical trial protocols and regulations. They also guide patients through the entire clinical trial journey. Without this support, investigators would need to leave their primary clinical spaces for certain blocks of time, possibly to the detriment of patient care and clinic revenue.
Having clinical trials onsite can also bring new patients to the practice and lower overhead. At our clinic, we find that some trial participants drive to our facility from out of town, while others are local but new to our clinic. Every person who walks through our door presents an opportunity to grow our general patient base. We have also seen that when the IRO provides staff and covers costs for space and equipment, it offsets some of our overhead.
When partnering with a research organization, I suggest choosing an IRO that has good relationships with varied sponsors across a large portfolio of differing interventions. With a full clinical practice, I would not be able to reach out to sponsors individually and complete study feasibility evaluations to help market our location as a viable site for clinical research. The IRO bridges this gap, opening a door that I could not and allowing the integration of clinical research into my everyday practice. Partners like Javara allow small practices like mine, which often have access to diverse populations, to seamlessly take part in sophisticated clinical trials.
When choosing a partner, it is wise to select an organization that values the staff it embeds within a clinic. Not only are these staff members the true heroes of clinical research, but supported staff members who focus exuberantly on the patient experience can enhance the relationship that participants have with our primary clinic as well as with the clinical trial process.
I am a family practice doctor for a small multispecialty practice in Stephenville, Texas, a small town near Fort Worth. About four years ago, our medical group, Privia Health, partnered with an integrated research organization (IRO) to bring clinical trials to our clinic and our patients. The IRO, Javara, provided our site with the staff, expertise, and resources necessary for a clinic to conduct clinical research, and their support allowed me to become the primary investigator in a clinical trial for the first time. I found the process exciting and manageable, and I have now been a primary investigator for 18 trials.
As a physician and investigator, I strongly recommend choosing a research organization that will embed staff and equipment within your organization. With extra staff and research onsite, it is possible to conduct trials while continuing with the usual clinic responsibilities. The research is woven into our practice’s daily rhythm.
Onsite IRO staff supports investigators, ensures compliance with clinical trial protocols and regulations, and guides patients through the entire clinical trial journey. Without this support, investigators would need to leave their primary clinical spaces for certain blocks of time, possibly to the detriment of patient care and clinic revenue.
Conducting clinical trials onsite can also bring new patients to the practice and lower overhead. At our clinic, we find that some trial participants will drive to our facility from out of town, while others are local but new to our clinic. Every person who walks through our door presents an opportunity to grow our general patient base. We have also seen that when the IRO provides staff and covers costs for space and equipment, it offsets some of our overhead.
When partnering with a research organization, I suggest choosing an IRO that has good relationships with varied sponsors across a large portfolio of differing interventions. With a full clinical practice, I would not be able to reach out to sponsors individually and complete study feasibility evaluations to help market our location as a viable site for clinical research. The IRO bridges this gap, opens new doors, and streamlines the integration of clinical research into my everyday practice. Partners like Javara allow small practices like mine, which often have access to diverse populations, to seamlessly take part in sophisticated clinical trials.
When choosing a partner, select an organization that values the staff it embeds within a clinic. Not only are these staff members the true heroes of clinical research, but supported staff members who focus exuberantly on the patient experience can enhance the relationship that participants have with our primary clinic, as well as the clinical trial process.
There is an additional benefit to working with an IRO that has been extremely rewarding for me. Partnering with an embedded clinical research partner provides exposure to high quality clinical trials and the opportunity to interact with sponsors who are leaders in advancing medical care. With an IRO prominent and active onsite, I get to witness new therapeutic options develop right in front of me, remaining close to the science of medicine and up to date on the newest and best treatments for my patients. It makes me a better doctor.
Contributor
Benjamin Marcum, MD, is a family medicine physician based in Stephenville, Texas, practicing at the Stephenville Medical & Surgical Clinic.
