CT:IQ and the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (ACTA) are pleased to announce a prestigious award for an innovative coauthored publication that focused on their development of a toolkit to support meaningful consumer involvement in clinical trials in Australia.

The award-winning paper, titled ‘Development of the Consumer Involvement & Engagement Toolkit: a digital resource to build capacity for undertaking patient-centred clinical trials in Australia’, was published in Public Health Research & Practice in March this year. On 9 November 2023, it was highly commended by the judging panel in the In Practice paper category, highlighting the significance of consumer involvement in clinical research.

The toolkit, developed as a result of the collaborative efforts of CT:IQ and ACTA, offers a comprehensive set of resources and guidelines for fostering active participation of patients and the general public in clinical trials. It demonstrates the commitment to improving the clinical trials landscape, ultimately leading to more effective, patient-centric healthcare solutions.

Commenting on this achievement, Lisa Eckstein, CT:IQ’s Programme Director said “we are thrilled that the paper has been recognised by PHRP in this year’s Excellence Awards. The award showcases the benefits of organisations like CT:IQ and ACTA and what can be achieved through collaboration, innovation, and dedication to advancing clinical trials.”

Professor Steve Webb, Chair of ACTA, stated “ACTA is incredibly pleased to see recognition of this paper and would like to congratulate the authors and everyone from ACTA and CT:IQ who contributed to this key piece of work. This award from PHRP reaffirms the crucial role consumers play in shaping the future of healthcare through engagement in clinical trials and research."

About the Consumer Involvement Toolkit

The Consumer Involvement and Engagement Toolkit provides practical advice for researchers and research organisations wishing to conduct patient-centred clinical trials. Using an interactive map, the Toolkit provides guidance and tools to help plan, deliver, evaluate and report consumer and community involvement and engagement activities.

The Toolkit is a joint initiative between the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (ACTA) and Clinical Trials: Impact & Quality (CT:IQ). It was developed by a working group of end-users (researchers, research organisation representatives, and consumers) who ratified content and endorsed the definitions and acronyms used throughout.