Postgraduate Course: Principles of Clinical Trial Management (MCLM11020)
Course Outline
| School | Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This 20-credit elective builds upon the Year 1 foundation of knowledge and skills around the design, delivery, management and reporting of clinical trials on the clinical trials programme for the exit award of PG Diploma or MSc. |
| Course description |
Although much has been written about the theory and principles of the design of clinical trials, much less has been written about the core principles of trial management and their practical application. There is surprisingly little empirical evidence on the relative costs and effectiveness of different approaches to the management of clinical trials.
To some extent, we can draw on the principles of project management as applied to industrial production processes and the management of large construction projects. However, when it comes to the design and the management of an efficient and effective clinical trial that is completed on time and within budget we are limited to methods derived from 'custom and practice' and common sense.
Course participants will therefore evaluate different approaches to the various aspects of trial management by critically appraising the limited literature, but also by collaborative group work, drawing on knowledge of other group members to design processes for the conduct and oversight of an example trial. Equally important, course participants will be given authentic exercises in problem-solving to deal with the kind of difficulties that are commonly encountered during the course of a study. These may include problems such as adequate recruitment, new safety concerns, frequent protocol violations, and unexpected advice from the Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) to suspend recruitment and many more.
Course participants will gain a firm understanding and practical skills for the successful planning and management of clinical trials as introduced on earlier online lessons; current readings; interactive, independent activities; self tests; collaborative projects and discussions. The course will cover 6 main topic areas presented in the following Units over a period of 10 weeks.
- Unit 1 - Start-up and Project Planning of a New Trial
- Unit 2 - Recruitment and Retention
- Unit 3 - Data management and Monitoring
- Unit 4 - Funding and Budget Management
- Unit 5 - Oversight and Management of the Trial from Start to Finish
- Unit 6 - Marketing Clinical Trials
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | 0 |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Online Activities 100,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 40,
Formative Assessment Hours 12,
Summative Assessment Hours 10,
Revision Session Hours 8,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
21 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment is undertaken throughout the course with each element structured to provide opportunities for formative feedback at key points. Assessment is designed to be integral to the learning process and triangulates between learning outcomes, learning content and graduate attributes.
Online discussion summary and reflections - 15%
Group project (including peer assessment) - 35%
Individual project 1 - 20%
Individual project 2 - 30% |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Design a project management plan (Gantt chart)
- Develop trial management and monitoring systems
- Create a trial marketing plan
- Critically appraise trial funding and resource allocation methods for trials of different types of interventions
- Evaluate strategies for recruitment and retention
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Within the work to be undertaken this course will provide course participants with the opportunity to develop or further develop key attributes:
- In-depth knowledge of specialist discipline
- Develop new understanding by exercising critical judgement and challenging knowledge
- Be a self-directed and curious learner
- Solve problems effectively taking ethical, professional and environmental issues into account
- Use information responsibly in a range of contexts
- Engage in reflective practice and self-development
- Collaborate with others, capitalising on their different thinking, experience and skills
- Communicate (written, oral, online) effectively, respectful of social and cultural diversity
- Application of numeracy
- Application of IT |
| Keywords | clinical trials,clinical trial management |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Stuart Ralston
Tel: (0131 6)51 8743
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Michelle Evans
Tel: 0131 537 3326
Email: |
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