Submission
The National Rural Health Alliance responded to the consultation on the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework (NCTGF), highlighting that the NCTGF must support the following:
- Inclusion of regional, rural and remote (thereafter rural) participants, aiming for proportional representation that reflects the share of rural communities in the national population.
- Funding to cover travel, accommodation and logistical costs to enable rural patients and consumers from different geographic locations to participate in available clinical trials.
- Participation of rural clinicians and researchers including through a hub-and-spoke model where metropolitan centres can provide mentorship and technical support to rural sites. The NCTGF should also support rural participation in teletrials.
- Building capacity and infrastructure to support and sustain clinical trial systems, including investing in local trial infrastructure as well as providing for higher costs associated with distance.
- National harmonisation of requirements for clinical trials across states and territories through a national governance framework to foster collaboration and reduce administrative burden.
It is important that the NCTGF is developed with an understanding of the current clinical trial landscape across all of Australia as well as for rural areas specifically, and support an enabling culture, funding and capacity for all Australians, not just those that live in cities.
Rural health services need support to undertake clinical trials, considering they are already grappling with the inherent challenges of healthcare access and delivery to small populations over vast geographical areas while experiencing chronic workforce shortages.