Palliative Care Intensives in Clinical Trials
This three-day intensive seeks to provide a foundation in practical aspects involving the conduct of randomized clinical trials in palliative care. It is designed for researchers and health professionals interested in developing competence in the planning, design, and execution of palliative care-focused randomized clinical trials. Instruction will include a combination of focused lectures, small group experiential learning sessions, and individual and group consultations with experts in the field. Previous attendees have described the Intensive as an important step towards greater productivity and funding for their research.
The curriculum will enable participants to:
- Describe the principles underlying the conduct of unbiased clinical trials.
- Identify the unique challenges posed by behavioral randomized clinical trials (RCTs).
- Evaluate RCT designs in terms of their appropriateness to scientific and clinical goals.
- Select appropriate strategies for enrollment, randomization, and retention.
- Understand methods for monitoring, coordinating, and conducting RCTs.
- Develop basic strategies for appropriate statistical analyses of RCT data.
- Work with an interdisciplinary group to design an RCT on an assigned topic.
- Better understand the process used in NIH Study Sections to review clinical trials.