A University of Liverpool‑led research partnership has won a prestigious international award for making trials of new healthcare treatments more efficient and effective.
Professor Paula Williamson and her colleagues won one of the 2021 Cochrane-REWARD prizes for “reducing research waste” through the work conducted by the Medical Research Council (MRC) & National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Trials Methodology Research Partnership (TMRP). The TMRP, which grew out of the MRC Network of Hubs for Trials Methodology Research, brings together a network of 25 UK universities, Health Data Research UK, UKCRC Registered Clinical Trials Units Network, UK Trial Managers’ Network, HRB Trials Methodology Research Network in Ireland, and The Global Health Network.
Background
Randomised controlled are the cornerstone of evidence-based healthcare. They are the best way to assess whether treatments and healthcare interventions work.
TMRP forms a partnership that brings together networks, institutions and partners working in clinical trials and research to improve clinical trials (trials methodology research). This research ensures health research, practice and policy are built on the best evidence; and maximises benefits for patients and the public.
Research waste
Research waste can occur during five stages of research production: question selection, study design, research conduct, publication, and reporting. Much of this waste appears to be avoidable or remediable, but few solutions had previously been proposed or synthesised. The Cochrane-REWARD prize highlights “both underused “remedies” and the need to invest in research to identify problems and solutions to them”. Previous winners can be found here.
To reduce waste and make the trials process more efficient, TMRP members work together as a community of practice, strengthening links between trialists, methods researchers, clinicians, patients, the public, and funders. TMRP includes eight Working Groups: Adaptive Designs; Global Health; Health Economics; Health Informatics; Outcomes; Statistical Analysis; Stratified Medicine; and Trial Conduct.
The impact of better networking has led to:
- better, more impactful research
- ability to pivot to COVID-19 projects
- less duplication of effort
- value for money
- increased education and knowledge exchange
More effective COVID trials
An example of TMRP’s impact can be seen in the rapid development and deployment of highest quality trials to assess the management of COVID-19. New trial designs have led to more efficient and expedient trials. By using the same control group for several evaluations, fewer patients need to be randomised. The ability to add and remove treatments means that ineffective or highly beneficial treatments are identified quicker and trial infrastructure only has to be set up once.
ICTMC 2022
The Partnership organises the world’s largest, academic-led conference for clinical trials methodology: ICTMC – the International Clinical Trials and Methodology conference. TMRP looks forward to discussing further new evidence-based improvements in Harrogate, UK in October 2022.
Professor Paula Williamson, said: “We’re delighted to have our work recognised with this award. TMRP has demonstrated how working together as a community of practice can achieve impact, making trials more efficient for the benefit of patients and other decision-makers.”
The team picked up the second prize award at the Cochrane Connects meeting on 1st March 2022, alongside this year’s Canadian first prize winners: COVID-END.
