Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32375851›Full record

ArticleTrials2020

Where do we go from here? - Opportunities and barriers to the career development of trial managers: a survey of UK-based trial management professionals.

Eleanor Mitchell, Kirsteen Goodman, Suzanne Hartley, Helen Hickey, Alison M McDonald, Helen M Meadows, Shelley Rhodes, Jodi Taylor, Natalie Wakefield, Barbara Farrell and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Trials, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Eleanor MitchellNottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK. eleanor.mitchell@nottingham.ac.uk.
Kirsteen GoodmanNursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK.
Suzanne HartleyClinical Trials Research Unit, Leeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
Helen HickeyLiverpool Clinical Trials Centre, University of Liverpool, a member of the Liverpool Health Partners, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK.
Alison M McDonaldCentre for Healthcare Randomised Trials (CHaRT) Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Health Sciences Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.
Helen M MeadowsCancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre & Institute of Clinical Trials & Methodology, UCL, 90 Tottenham Court Rd, London, UK.
Shelley RhodesExeter Clinical Trials Unit (ExeCTU), University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, Devon, EX1 2LU, UK.
Jodi TaylorBristol Randomised Trials Collaboration, Bristol Trials Centre, University of Bristol, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS, UK.
Natalie WakefieldNottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
Barbara FarrellNational Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Clinical Trials Unit, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK.
UK Trial Managers’ Network Executive Group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundClinical trials commonly have a dedicated trial manager and effective trial management is essential to the successful delivery of high-quality trials. Trial managers have diverse experience and currently there is no standardised structured career pathway. The UK Trial Managers' Network (UKTMN) surveyed its members to understand what is important to them with respect to career development since this would be important in the development of any initiative intended to develop a skilled workforce.

methodsWe conducted an online survey of UKTMN members, who are trial management professionals, working on academic-led trials in the UK. Members were asked what they perceive as opportunities and barriers to career development. Two reminders were sent to facilitate completion of the survey, and responders were offered the opportunity to enter a prize draw for waived fees at the UKTMN annual meeting. Data were analysed descriptively by using Stata (version 15.1), and free-text responses were reviewed for themes.

resultsThe survey was sent to 819 UKTMN members; 433 responses were received, although 13 were from non-UKTMN members; thus 420 respondents' data were included in analyses. Respondents were representative of UKTMN membership; however, more responses were received by trial managers based in registered clinical trials units (CTUs). The top three opportunities for career development were (i) training, (ii) helping design trials and (iii) undertaking relevant qualifications. The top three barriers were (i) funding, (ii) few opportunities to get involved in development activities aside from managing a trial and (iii) unclear organisational career pathway. Almost all respondents (401/420, 95.4%) considered career development either very or quite important. Although all respondents had a day-to-day role in managing trials, there was huge disparity between job titles.

conclusionCareer development is important to trial managers yet there is a lack of a structured pathway. The enablers and disablers to career development for trial managers should be clearly considered by the clinical trial community and, in particular, employers, sponsors and funders in order to develop a highly skilled workforce of trial managers, who are key to the delivery of trials.

Indexed as

Capital FinancingCareer MobilityClinical Trials as TopicEducationEducational StatusEfficiency, OrganizationalFemaleFinancial ManagementHumansMaleResearch DesignSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited KingdomWorkforceCareer developmentClinical trialProject managementSurveyTrial managementTrial managerUKTMN

Identifiers

PMID32375851
PMCPMC7203789

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.