title: Facilitating accrual to cancer control and supportive care trials: the clinical research associate perspective.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accrual to Cancer Control and Supportive Care (CCL) studies can be challenging. Our objective was to identify facilitators and perceived barriers to successful Children's Oncology Group (COG) CCL accrual from the clinical research associate (CRA) perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was developed that focused on the following features from the institutional perspective: (1) Components of successful accrual; (2) Barriers to accrual; (3) Institutional changes that could enhance accrual; and (4) How COG could facilitate accrual. The survey was distributed to the lead CRA at each COG site with at least 2 CCL accruals within the previous year. The written responses were classified into themes and sub-themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  57 sites in the United States (n = 52) and Canada (n = 5) were contacted; 34 (60%) responded. The four major themes were: (1) Staff presence and dynamics; (2) Logistics including adequate numbers of eligible patients; (3) Interests and priorities; and (4) Resources. Suggestions for improvement began at the study design/conception stage, and included ongoing training/support and increased reimbursement or credit for successful CCL enrollment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The comments resulted in suggestions to facilitate CCL trials in the future. Soliciting input from key team members in the clinical trials process is important to maximizing accrual rates.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vanhoff
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hesser
authors.forename: Katherine Patterson
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freyer
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stork
authors.affiliation: Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada. lillian.sung@sickkids.ca.
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D033282:Parental Consent; D018579:Patient Selection; D012108:Research Personnel