ANZMUSC Clinical Trials Network 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting ProgrammeWednesday, 27 April 2016

Day 2: Thursday April 28^th 2016

  * Informal networking event is not included in registration ** Breakfast Meeting to be held in the Boardroom.   FINAL 2016 PROGRAMME

Wednesday April 27th – Thursday April 28th 2016

The Darlington Centre at the University of Sydney, 174 City Road, Darlington, NSW   ANZMUSC Working Group Rachelle Buchbinder (VIC) (Chair) Ian Harris (NSW) Jane Latimer (NSW) Christopher Maher (NSW) Bethan Richards (NSW) Will Taylor (NZ) Sam Whittle (SA)Generously supported by Monash University and Cabrini Health (Foundation Sponsors) and The George Institute and University of Sydney (2016 Annual Scientific Meeting Sponsors)   Goals of the Meeting Following on from the successful 2015 inaugural summit, ANZMUSC held its second ASM and pre-meeting workshop on consumer engagement in clinical research (conducted by  Ms Anne McKenzie AM from the University of Western Australia). The aims of the meeting were to:

1. establish the foundations of ANZMUSC through agreement on ANZMUSC structure, governance and endorsement processes
2. conduct the networks’ first open-forum sessions for the presentation, discussion and development of musculoskeletal research proposals for potential ANZMUSC endorsement

Attendees at the Summit (see here for full list of participants) There were 66 participants at the Summit. Participants were affiliated with 12 Universities in Australia and New Zealand as well as various research institutes and hospitals, consumer organisations and professional societies.   FacilitatorsProfessor Vlado Perkovic, Executive Director George Institute Australia and George Clinical Vlado Perkovic is Executive Director of The George Institute, Australia, Professor of Medicine at The University of Sydney, and a Staff Specialist in Nephrology at the Royal North Shore Hospital. His research focus is in clinical trials and epidemiology, in particular in preventing the progression of kidney disease and its complications. He leads several major international clinical trials, serves on the Steering Committees of several others, and has led the development of George Clinical, the global clinical trials arm of The George Institute. He has been involved in developing Australian and global guidelines in kidney disease, cardiovascular risk assessment and blood pressure management.   Professor Jonathan Craig, Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Medicine and Course Director of the Clinical Epidemiology, University of Sydney Jonathan holds a Personal Chair in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Sydney, and is a Senior Staff Specialist at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. He is internationally recognised clinician-scientist, with more than 550 publications focussed on improving the health of well being of people with chronic kidney disease, especially children and Indigenous people. His awards include International Distinguished Medal of the National (US) Kidney Foundation (2010), TJ Neale Award for Outstanding Contribution to Nephrological Science, and Honorary Membership of the Italian Society of Nephrology (2004). He is a past Chair of the Steering Group of the Cochrane Collaboration, is a member of NHMRC Expert Advisory Group: Structural review of NHMRC funding, and NHMRC Advisory Group on the Synthesis and Translation of Research Evidence, a member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, and Medicare Services Advisory Committee.   Program Our meeting commenced with a plenary session regarding the conduct of major multi-centre clinical trials in 2016. This included presentations by Professor John Myburgh AO,(George Institute of Global Health) Associate Professor Laurent Billot (George Institute for Global Health) and Ms Amanda Jubb (George Clinical) focusing on ethics, recruitment, data management, statistics and monitoring requirements and strategies. We also fortunate enough to have 2 insightful presentations by Professor Jonathan Craig (University of Sydney) regarding the priority setting process and a discussion about what things ANZMSUC might consider in doing its own priority setting. We also held an early career breakfast featuring presentations by Associate Professor Christine Lin (George Institute for Global Health), Dr Chris Williams (Hunter New England Local Health District), Dr Saraid Billards (Director of the Research Grants team, NHMRC) and Ms Nicola Garrett (Co-founder and Editorial Director at the limbic). The major achievement of the meeting was the discussion and agreement on the ANZMUSC structure and governance procedures and policies facilitated by Professor Vlado Perkovic. Over 2 sessions, the group worked to together to discuss the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of how ANZMUSC will function, and the alterations to the policies and procedures needed to ensure that ANZMUSC functions in a way that its members approve of.  At the end of the 2 sessions, we had 96% agreement on the structure of ANZMUSC, 96% agreement on the membership policy, 100% agreement of the Consumer Advisory Group Terms of Reference, 85% agreement on the endorsement process and 83% agreement on the publication policy. A summary of the proposed changes to each of the documents is available here. A second major achievement was the running of 4 open-forum proposal sessions for (potential) ANZMUSC endorsed trials. We heard a variety of research protocols ranging from trials that had been fully developed (and funded) through to new research ideas only in their infancy. These proposals were presented by senior researchers through to less experienced researchers. Each proposal was reviewed prior to the meeting by an ANZMUSC member and a member of the ANZMUSC Working group, who orally presented the summed review feedback in order to stimulate collegiate discussion and questioning to help improve the scientific rigor of the project. We are pleased to announce that following the meeting, the Working group has endorsed 2 trials:

1. A Combined Randomised and Observational Study of Surgery for Fractures In the distal Radius in the Elderly (CROSSFIRE). CIA Professor Ian Harris AO
2. Targeting pro-nociception to prevent chronic pain after whiplash injury. CIA Michele Sterling

2nd Year Goals We also came up with some second year goals for the group including:

1. Appointment Executive Officer
2. Finalise ANZMUSC policies and procedures
3. Appoint Scientific Advisory Group
4. Appoint Consumer Advisory Group
5. Conduct priority setting literature review in preparation for priority setting meeting