HLTH SC 3101 - Clinical Trials Management: Principles and Practice

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2022

This course will teach the practical aspects of clinical trial conduct such as synopsis and protocol writing, principles of informed consent, study conduct and follow up, adverse event reporting, report writing, as well as the principles of Good Clinical Practice. This will be done within the regulatory and reporting framework for clinical trials.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code HLTH SC 3101
    Course Clinical Trials Management: Principles and Practice
    Coordinating Unit Medical Sciences
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 4 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites HLTH SC 2104 or PUB HLTH 2007 or MEDIC ST 1000B
    Assumed Knowledge PUB HLTH 3009
    Assessment Students will complete individual assignments, group study management plan and presentation, participate in tutorials and engage in workshops. There will be both a mid-semester examination and an end of course examination.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Professor Sepehr Shakib

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
    1. Interpret the principles of Good Clinical Practice, and be able to apply these in practice
    2. Cite the regulatory and reporting requirements for critical aspects of clinical trials
    3. Articulate critical aspects of informed consent in the clinical trial setting
    4. Categorise adverse events correctly
    5. Create a patient information sheet from a clinical trial protocol
    6. Summarise critical aspects of trial monitoring



    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1-6

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    1-6

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    1-6

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    1-6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Keech A, Gebski V, Pike R (eds). Interpreting and reporting Clinical Trials: A guide to the CONSORT statement and the principles of randomised controlled trials. Australasian Medical Publishing Company, 2007
    Recommended Resources
    Students will be able to open access a variety of third party online resources for clinical trials management e.g. NHMRC, ANZCTR. Links to journal articles and reading lists disseminated via MyUni.
    Online Learning
    The primary means of communication outside of the formal contact hours will be via MyUni. Announcements will be used as the main method of communicating with the student cohort. Course material will be supported by online resources, with lecture recordings available via MyUni. Material will be sequentially released in line with the teaching and learning activities in each week or at the beginning of the Semester.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    There will be a number of small online modules to provide basic definitions for some of the content which is repeated throughout the course eg adverse effect, protocol, investigator brochure, Good Clinical Practice.
    Other content may be delivered as online modules, which the students will learn at their own pace.
    There are 2 lectures per week which may be face to face or presented online to provide the core course didactic content.
    There are 9 small group discovery experiences where students will work together to discus and will develop clinical trial protocols based on information provided to them on hypothetical drugs, and will work through Good Clinical Practice. Students will also be expected to work together in groups, outside of these sessions, to complete a workbook in lieu of face to face workshops.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Students will be expected to watch 2 lectures, take part in an hour long workshop every week and complete online quizzes nearly every week.
    Students will also be expected to spend approximately 1-2 hours per week working as a group on developing study protocols.
    Learning Activities Summary
    The bulk of the learning will be through the workshops where students will be facilitated to work together to create clinical trial protocols for their hypothetical drugs. These will be supported by lectures (delivered by experts from industry) and problem-solving tutorials.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Active participation - 10%
    Online quizzes at the end of each workshop regarding content covered- 5 X 10%
    Mid-semester exam- 15%
    Final exam- 25%
    Assessment Detail
    The midsemester and end of year exams will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions.

    For five of the workshops, the students will work through specific questions and scenarios individually and as a group. At the end of these workshops there will be an online quiz, which will assess their learning in this session. These quizzes will be worth 10% of the total mark each.

    Students will also be assessed for their active participation in the face to face or zoom lectures, workshops and the site visit. Students will be expected to actively engage in the workshops, in the small group discussions, to perform group presentations, and to participant in online or face to face lectures discussions.

    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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