Remote training solutions for complex intervention trials

Background

Delivering training to participating sites is an essential part of successful trial setup especially when new techniques, treatments or technologies are involved. RAIDER is a multicentre (> 30 NHS Trusts) phase II trial of complex radiotherapy for muscle invasive bladder cancer. The radiotherapy techniques were developed at a single UK NHS site and in addition to written materials ideally require demonstration using the relevant radiotherapy planning and imaging software, only available at the experienced site. Rather than arranging a series of visits from key participating site personnel (Principal Investigator (PI) and research radiographers), a virtual meeting plan was developed.

Methods

Cisco’s WebEx was selected as it allowed screen sharing and live demonstration of radiotherapy contouring techniques. Sites were provided with guidelines for using WebEx and given a practice session to check connectivity. The 2 hour interactive meeting included an introduction to the trial, technical details of treatment delivery and opportunities to ask questions. Feedback was requested from attendees.

Results

132 attendees from 27 sites participated, including 18 PIs. 26/27 sites provided feedback with 20 stating that the virtual meeting allowed more staff to attend compared to a face-to-face meeting; 17/26 preferred the virtual meeting format. The usefulness of the meeting was rated 8.6/10 on average.

Conclusion

The virtual meeting format improved attendance rates, was considered beneficial by attendees and facilitated recording for future use by staff or sites unable to attend. The approach was a useful training tool for RAIDER and will be adopted by other ICR-CTSU trials.