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Clinical Research Portal
Clinical Research Office (CRO)
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Katarzyna Karelus |
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Keralee Morey |
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Julie Herzog |
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April Firstencel |
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Bob Lanese, MS |
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Matthew Rump |
This portal is intended as a resource for the clinical research programs of the Case CCC. The portal gives researchers access to the necessary forms and information about the requirements to conduct clinical research as well as links to a number of useful sites.
Resources
- Orientation (PDF)
- Case CCC Clinical Trials Operations Manual (formerly RedBook)
- Case CCC Standard Operating Procedures (PDF)
- Case CCC Data Safety and Monitoring Plan- Contact Katarzyna Karelus at kxk384@case.edu for individual DSMP Appendices
- Protocol Templates
- Cultural Competency Training
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health: A Physician's Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care (a free online cultural competency program for physicians)
- Cultural Competency Training is available for Cleveland Clinic employees through the Cleveland Clinic Office of Diversity and Inclusion and for University Hospitals employees through the online Learning Management System (access via UH Intranet home page, click on Human Resources, then click on Employee Direct Access, see "2012 Resident Orientation Cultural Competency").
- RTOG conducted a session on Cultural Competency and Recruitment Training in June 2011, which is available on the RTOG website. The session consists of four modules, of which the most useful may be module 3 consisting of several role-playing scenarios that emphasize principles important to recruitment of underserved populations.
Announcements
(NEW) Disease Team sign-off and PRMC Review and Approval
Message from: Neal Meropol, MD, Associate Director for Clinical Research, and Robert Dreicer, MD, Deputy Associate Director for Clinical Research
Effective immediately, Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC) approval will not be granted if Disease Team sign offs are not on file in the PRMC study file.
One of the functions of the Case CCC Clinical Trials Disease Teams is to "recommend action to PRMC for trial advocacy, priority" by providing "pre-review by experts in their field for scientific merit, prioritization, and intent to accrue patients" (Case CCC Clinical Trials Operations Manual). Disease Team sign off from both hospitals is a longstanding requirement, but the PRMC has sometimes reviewed protocols without this sign off.
Please note that the overall responsibility of following-up and obtaining sign-offs rests with the PI and the study team. The PRMC will continue to send PRMC sign off forms to both hospital Disease Team leaders; however, PRMC staff are not responsible for obtaining the signatures – this falls with the PI.
Questions should be directed to Katarzyna Karelus, Clinical Research Office Administrative Director, kxk384@case.edu, 216.844.4176.
(NEW) Case CCC Protocol Templates Now Required
We have had great success with our year-long run-in period of using Case CCC protocol templates for investigator-initiated studies. Effective immediately, Case CCC protocol templates are mandatory when developing investigator-initiated protocols, and must contain all protocol template elements and language. These requirements will be enforced by the Case CCC Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee at the time of protocol submission and review. In the event that one or more elements of a trial do not fit into the template (e.g., a surgical trial or Phase 0 trial), the protocol should still retain the section(s) with a "Not Applicable" entered.
The Case CCC protocol templates (short and long versions) are available on the Case CCC website. They may also be accessed through links on the Clinical Research Portal or Clinical Trials Core Facility. If you have any questions about the templates, please contact Katarzyna Karelus at 216.844.4176 or kxk384@case.edu.
(NEW) Case CCC Funding for Pilot/Phase I Clinical Trials
The Case CCC is encouraging investigators to submit Letters of Intent for Early Phase Clinical Research Support (EPCRS; former Protocol Specific Research Support) funding. These in-house funds are available for the conduct of early phase clinical trials of relatively short duration. Revised NCI Cancer Center Support Grant EPCRS guidelines are effective as of April 1, 2013. Studies developed jointly between UH and Cleveland Clinic with planned accrual at both institutions will be given higher priority. There are no specific deadlines for submission, and applications will be accepted until all funds are committed. Please direct questions and requests for information about the revised guidelines and funding process to Katarzyna Karelus, Clinical Research Office Administrative Director, kxk384@case.edu, 216.844.4176.
(NEW) PRMC Process Changes
David Goldblatt, PRMC Manager, left his position mid-February 2013. The PRMC process will remain the same with the following changes, effective Monday, February 11.
- All new protocol submissions, submission of actions on already reviewed and/or approved studies, and any other documents should be submitted to April Firstencel, april.firstencel@case.edu, 216.286.2294.
- All inquiries on studies currently undergoing PRMC review, as well as all general questions about the PRMC process, forms, requirements, etc. should be directed to Katarzyna Karelus, kxk384@case.edu, 216.844.4176.
Questions should be directed to Katarzyna Karelus, Clinical Research Office Administrative Director, kxk384@case.edu, 216.844.4176.
Case CCC Clinical Trials Admin Staff Hold Office Hours at the Cleveland Clinic
Commencing the week of November 12, 2012 Case CCC clinical trials administrative staff will be holding office hours at the Cleveland Clinic:
- April Firstencel, Registration Coordinator for ClinicalTrials.gov and NCI/CTRP
april.firstencel@case.edu
Cleveland Clinic office hours: Thursdays 8:30 am-5 pm
Cleveland Clinic location: JJN2-326
Please feel free to stop by April's office in the JJ building with any questions regarding PRMC, Clinicaltrials.gov, NCI/CTRP and OnCore issues.
Registration of Clinical Trials and of Clinical Trials Results in ClinicalTrials.gov
The U.S. Public Law 110-85 (Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007), Title VIII, Section 801, mandates that certain clinical trials have to be registered and results have to be reported in ClinicalTrials.gov. More information is available at: http://prsinfo.clinicaltrials.gov/.
In addition, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) requires that any intervention type of clinical trial (drugs, biologics, devices, surgical, behavioral or other) is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov PRIOR to registration of the first patient. Editors of the ICMJE will not consider publication of manuscripts if trials are not registered completely and prospectively.
The Case CCC Research Coordinator for ClinicalTrials.gov has been registering applicable trials as well as clinical trial results in ClinicalTrials.gov on the investigators and study teams behalf. In order for the Case CCC to provide registration and reporting services, studies in the OnCore database must be updated in real time. In addition, it is expected that investigators and research teams, whose trials have been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, will meet with the Case CCC Research Coordinator to discuss the process and information needed for reporting clinical trial results. Questions can be directed to April Firstencel at 216.286.2294 or april.firstencel@case.edu.
We look forward to working with investigators and their teams to assure that we fulfill our results reporting obligations.
Importance of the OnCore Clinical Trials Management System Information
It is critical that investigators and study staff ensure that research study information, including accrual data, is being entered into the OnCore database on an on-going basis. Accurate and timely information in OnCore serves as a basis for Case CCC tracking and reporting capabilities. Please make every effort to ensure that information on your studies in OnCore is complete. Questions regarding OnCore access, training and data entry can be directed to April Firstencel at 216.286.2294 or april.firstencel@case.edu.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The IRB review responsibilities are performed by the IRB offices and committees of the University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) and the Cleveland Clinic (CC). All new cancer and cancer-related protocols are submitted to the IRB of the lead Principal Investigator's institution using their existing electronic systems (iMedRIS at UHCMC and WebKit at CC). The same procedures apply to amendments, continuing reviews, SAEs, deviations and other protocol-related actions.
It remains a high priority of the Case CCC to foster clinical research collaborations between the UHCMC and CC. To that end, the IRBs of each hospital accepts the approval of the other site in a facilitated review arrangement. Thus, opening of clinical trials at both sites requires only a single full board review at the site of the lead investigator. All cancer and cancer-related research protocols continue to be submitted to the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (Case CCC PRMC) for scientific review and approval, prior to review and approval by the respective institutional IRB.
If you have any questions or need more information about current processes, please refer to the following contacts:
UHCMC Cancer IRB
Website
Carol Fedor, RN, ND, CCRC, Clinical Research Manager
216.844.5524; carol.fedor@UHhospitals.org
SCC Clinical Trials Unit
Mary Bilancini, MS, Regulatory Manager, Seidman Cancer Center
216.286.6642; mary.bilancini@UHhospitals.org
Cleveland Clinic IRB
Daniel Beyer, MS, MHA, CIP
Ruth Fritskey, RN, MSN, AOCN
216.444.2924; irb@ccf.org
Taussig Cancer Institute
Becky Habecker, BS, CCRP, Research Program Manager
216.445.2612; habeckb@ccf.org
Case CCC Clinical Research Office (Case CCC CRO)
Katarzyna Karelus, Case CCC CRO Administrative Director
216.844.4176; kxk384@case.edu