TrialHub
TrialHub partners with regional and remote hospitals to establish their own independent and sustainable clinical trial units to increase access to potentially life-saving treatments.
TrialHub was established in 2020 and is an Australian-first pilot program where a metro hospital with a large clinical trial portfolio partners with regional, rural and outer metro hospitals to establish, or expand, their own clinical trial unit.
Clinical trials are typically only offered at a city hospital, but long-distance travel and time off work have been barriers for regional and rural patients accessing a clinical trial.
That has now significantly changed through the TrialHub program, which has been supporting six Victorian hospitals; Latrobe Regional Health, Bendigo Health, Mildura Base Public Hospital, Peninsula Health (Rosebud), Bass Coast Health, and Northern Health.
Three years into the pilot program, TrialHub is delivering on its goal of improving access to clinical trials closer to home.
Why are clinical trials so important?
We need clinical trials to prove that a new medication, device or treatment is safe and effective for people.
Without clinical trials, new treatments and medicines cannot be approved for use in Australia.
Find out more about clinical trialsOur role
TrialHub is currently focussed on cancer clinical trials for melanoma, prostate and rare cancers. In future, TrialHub plans to:
- Boost the number of available clinical trials in Victoria beyond cancer clinical trials
- Partner with more hospitals to boost the number of available clinical trials in Victoria
- Support the hospitals with what they need to sustain an independent clinical trial unit
Our impact so far
- We have seen significant growth in clinical trial capacity across all partner sites, including more commercial studies
- We’ve supported the increase in the overall multi-disciplinary clinical trial workforce
- We’ve founded an inaugural Victorian Rare Cancer Alliance to build rare cancer clinical trial capacity and availability in regional and rural Victoria.
- Clinical trial participants are on the ground acting as ambassadors to improve awareness of clinical trials in their region
- Total participants recruited onto trials have increased since 2020.
- Clinical trial pharmacists at all sites have either completed, or will start, our unique clinical trial pharmacy micro-credentialing program
- We published an Australian-first Clinical Trial Capability Framework, now used by Queensland, Northern Territory and Victorian health services.
- We’ve hosted a number of engagement events such as clinical trial information sessions for community members, and engagement workshops between clinical trials staff and sponsors
- We developed a consumer-led teletrial brochure, a new concept where hospitals – regional, rural or city – share a clinical trial and work together as one team to deliver it to their patients
- Nine unique teletrials have opened with recruitment ongoing
Leading the way in clinical trials
We are committed to partnering with industries and organisations specialising in clinical trials and research.
Find out moreBendigo Health and Trialhub partnership
