ComFluCov Study gains national recognition
The Bristol Trials Centre is coordinating the ComFluCov study, and has recently received recognition in The Guardian, The Independent and The Times. The articles highlight the importance of the evidence being produced by the study, to inform the COVID-19 booster vaccination and influenza vaccination programmes expected to take place this winter.
The ComFluCOV study is a collaboration between the University of Bristol, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Oxford. The study will look at the safety, as well as the immune responses, when giving currently approved COVID-19 vaccines at the same time as the recommended influenza (flu) vaccines. It is hoped that the results can be shared in September 2021, to inform the flu season programme.
Mango Trial Management system presented at Society for Clinical Trials Annual Meeting
Madeleine Clout, Trial Manager, was invited to provide a pre-recorded virtual presentation for the Society for Clinical Trials Annual Meeting 2021. The presentation related to ‘Development of a Generic Electronic Study Management System’.
Many trials are choosing to move away from paper-based systems and adopt various electronic trial management solutions. There are numerous advantages to these systems including increased efficiency, reduced paper use and storage requirements, and continuous remote access to trial documentation. The advantages of these systems have become more apparent with increased remote working due to COVID-19. 
The BTC have been using electronic systems to manage trials for some time. A survey of site staff using some of these systems showed them to be accessible, easy to use and an acceptable alternative to paper-based systems. A request for feedback from UKTMN members demonstrated an appetite for moving to electronic systems, with a variety of solutions already in use. The BTC used this knowledge to successfully bid for funding to develop a generic trial management solution. Click here for more information about the Mango Trial Management system.
UKTMN Annual Conference
The UKTMN holds an annual meeting, which provides an opportunity to network with peers. The programme is tailored to suit trial management professionals, and there is an opportunity to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations. This year, the conference was held virtually and included a range of presentations and parallel sessions, with each day themed around a different topic.
Recruitment and Retention Session: Kirsty Roberts
I was delighted to be invited to present in the main session ‘Recruitment and Retention’ at the UKTMN Annual Conference this year. I wanted to highlight from my perspective as a Trial Manager how crucial the role of the QuinteT team has been, and will be, in investigating and overcoming recruitment barriers for a trial I am coordinating called Best-BRA. Although the trial isn’t open to recruitment yet we have already identified several barriers, in particular a lack of equipoise between the two surgical treatment arms. Working collaboratively with the QuinteT team, we have addressed some of these issues through adapting site documentation and developing detailed screening logs.
Remote Study Management Session: Maddie Clout
I was really pleased to be selected to present during a parallel session at the virtual UKTMN Annual Conference. The theme of the session was Remote Study Management. The presentation I gave related to the development of a Generic Electronic Study Management System. The session allowed for the opportunity to discuss these systems, as well as the wider implications of remote working (particularly in light of COVID-19) on study management. It also provided an opportunity to present the Mango system, which was well received by the attendees. Work on this project has been on hold whilst members of the team work on a COVID-19 trial, but it is hoped that this will restart shortly.