ENACCT's Learning Network Is Accepting Applications To Assist Cancer Centers and Community Oncology Practices Become More Effective, Efficient

Participation in cancer treatment clinical trials is a key measure for delivery of quality cancer care, yet adult trial participation in the U.S. remains under 3%, with even lower participation rates among ethnic and racial minorities and people over 65.    Whether focusing on studies sponsored by the National Cancer Institute or industry, institutions often struggle in isolation to achieve efficient and effective accrual.

The Commission on Cancer’s 2015 guidelines dictate higher accrual rates for all cancer treating institutions, so it is more important than ever to use effective accrual practices that are grounded in evidence. Unfortunately, there are few evidence-based practices to help sites achieve higher accrual rates. ENACCT is creating this evidence through its leadership of the Cancer Clinical Trial Collaborative Learning Network (CCTCLN). The CCTCLN is built upon the successful work of the National Pilot Collaborative completed in 2012. (Read more here).  The goal of the CCTCLN is to further the goal of the Pilot: to identify practical, patient-centered approaches to increase accrual overall and, in particular, for ethnic /racial minorities and people over 65. 

ENACCT is now accepting applications for the next generation of this network to assist cancer centers and community oncology practices in becoming more effective and efficient in their approaches to recruitment, accrual and retention.   (See www.enacct.org for more details.). The Learning Network Can Help Cancer Centers and Community Oncology Practices by:

• Coaching sites in using a deliberate, step-by-step approach to study, test and evaluate changes before they implement full-scale change in policies and procedures.

• Establishing a strong cross- institutional Community of Practice ---a group of people who share a concern, a set of problems or a passion about a topic-- that deepens its knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis. These kinds of Networks allow for knowledge to cross boundaries; generation and management of a body of knowledge for members to draw on; standardization of practice; innovation; and creation and leveraging of breakthrough ideas, knowledge and practices.

• Providing otherwise unavailable access to international experts in quality improvement, cancer clinical trials accrual management and patient and community education related to clinical research

• Providing sites with important data and practical approaches to improving recruitment, accrual and retention.

Institutions who join this Network will participate in a unique opportunity for improving their accrual practices in a cost-effective manner.  Applications are open now and are due June 21 2013. (See www.enacct.org for more details.)