151. The United Kingdom Paediatric Critical Care Society Study Group: The 20-Year Journey Toward Pragmatic, Randomized Clinical Trials.
- Author
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Peters MJ, Ramnarayan P, Scholefield BR, Tume LN, and Tasker RC
- Subjects
- Child, Humans, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, United Kingdom, Surveys and Questionnaires, Research Design, Critical Care
- Abstract
Over the past two decades, pediatric intensive care research networks have been formed across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand. The U.K. Paediatric Critical Care Society Study Group (PCCS-SG) has over a 20-year tradition of fostering collaborative research, leading to the design and successful conduct of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). To date, the PCCS-SG network has delivered 13 different multicenter RCTs, covering a spectrum of study designs, methodologies, and scale. Lessons from the early years have led PCCS-SG to now focus on the entire process needed for developing an RCT, starting from robust preparatory steps such as surveys, data analysis, and feasibility work through to a definitive RCT. Pilot RCTs have been an important part of this process as well. Facilitators of successful research have included the presence of a national registry to facilitate efficient data collection; close partnerships with established Clinical Trials Units to bring together clinicians, methodologists, statisticians, and trial managers; greater involvement of transport teams to recruit patients early in trials of time-sensitive interventions; and the funded infrastructure of clinical research staff within the National Health Service to integrate research within the clinical service. The informal nature of PCCS-SG has encouraged buy-in from clinicians. Greater international collaboration and development of embedded trial platforms to speed up the generation and dissemination of trial findings are two key future strategic goals for the PCCS-SG research network., Competing Interests: Dr. Peters’ institution received funding from the National Institute of Health Research Health Technology Assessment grants; he received support for article research from the U.K. National Institute of Health and Social Care Research. Dr. Ramnarayan received funding from Sanofi. Dr. Tasker received funding from Society of Critical Care Medicine as the Editor-in-Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and from Oxford University Press, Up-to-Date, and Walters Kluwer. Dr. Scholefield is supported on a National Institute of Health and Social Care Research Clinician Scientist Fellowship. Dr. Tume has disclosed that he does not have any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies.)
- Published
- 2022
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