Presentation of the first international research network to foster high-quality clinical trials testing non-pharmacological interventions (TRACTION network).
Ricardo Jorge de Oliveira FerreiraMaria Adriana Pereira HenriquesRikke Helene MoeCristiano MatosAnne Therese TveterNina ØsteråsPaulo Jorge NogueiraAndreia Cátia Jorge Silva da CostaEspen A HaavardsholmLoreto CarmonaDavid A RichardsPublished in: BMJ open (2024)
Clinical trials are essential for evaluating the efficacy and safety of new treatments and health interventions. However, while pharmacological trials are well-established, non-pharmacological trials face unique challenges related to their complexity and difficulties such as recruitment, retention, intervention standardisation, selection of outcome measures and blinding of clinicians, participants and data collectors. This communication paper describes the objectives, implementation steps and bylaws of the 'Trials foR heAlth Care inTerventIONs' Network (TRACTION), established by an international multiprofessional task force of experts to foster high-quality non-pharmacological research, ultimately improving patient care and healthcare outcomes.The TRACTION research network will provide information and resources through a collaborative hub for researchers, health professionals, patient research partners and stakeholders in diverse biomedical and healthcare areas, connecting people with different levels of expertise but with the same interests (eg, to evaluate the effect of non-pharmacological interventions, recruiting participants). This open network will support researchers in optimising trial design, participant recruitment, data management and analysis, and disseminating and implementing trial results.The network will also facilitate specialisation training and provide educational materials and mentoring.
Keyphrases
- healthcare
- clinical trial
- physical activity
- phase iii
- quality improvement
- study protocol
- randomized controlled trial
- health information
- phase ii
- public health
- primary care
- network analysis
- adipose tissue
- minimally invasive
- risk assessment
- palliative care
- electronic health record
- big data
- mental health
- climate change
- artificial intelligence
- human immunodeficiency virus
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