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Clinical trials and research units

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Learning and research

Clinical trials and research units

The Waikato DHB has the goal of becoming an internationally recognised centre for research. It has a number of active clinical trials and research units based on Waikato Hospital campus including critical care research, respiratory and gastroenterology research, cardiology trials, trauma research, neurology research, breast cancer (Waikato Breast Cancer Research Trust), rheumatology research and trials, cancer and blood research and trials, diabetes research, renal trials, and researching the use of virtual health.

Main areas of research
Critical care

Contacts
Kara Trask 
Caity Fiske
Sarah Rogers

Active/recruiting research

  • PEPTIC study – Proton pump inhibitors versus histamine receptor blockers for ulcer prophylaxis therapy in the ICU.
  • TARGET study – The augmented versus routine approach to giving energy trial.
  • FAB study – Fluid after Bypass study.
  • PLUS study – A pivotal, multicentre, parallel-group, double blind randomised controlled trial of plasmalyte use versus saline in adult critically ill patients deemed to require fluid resuscitation.

Completed research

  • TRANSFUSE study – A multi-centre randomised double blinded phase III trial of fresh versus standard issue of red blood cells for transfusion.

Respiratory

Main areas of research
Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Bronchiectasis, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).

Contacts
Christine Tuffery
Sandra Hopping
Miriam Bennett

Phone: 07 839 8899 ext 98070

Read more about our unit

Gastroenterology

Main areas of research
Crohns Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C.

Contacts
Sherryl Hayett
Nancy Carey

Phone: 07 839 8899 ext 98070

Main areas of research

  • Heart attacks.
  • Heart failure.
  • Heart valve disease.
  • Heart rhythm disorders.
  • Continuing evaluation of current treatments (Data Collection Registries).

Our Cardiology Department has been involved in clinical research for almost 50 years. Cardiology patients in Waikato Hospital participated in more than 140 international multi-centre trials, which have led to the evidence-based treatments that are used today.

Contact
Liz Low

Phone: 07 839 7136

Main areas of research
High quality data to provide a picture of trauma in our community, using the Midland Trauma Registry and clinical trials involving trauma patients.

Contact
Grant Christey
Trauma Director

Phone: 021 761 941
www.midlandtrauma.nz

Active/recruiting research
Patients for the PATCH (Pre-hospital Anti-fibrinolytics for Traumatic Coagulopathy and Haemorrhage) clinical trial.

Completed research
Research using registry data including 'Older persons incidence of trauma' 5-Districts major trauma project.

Main areas of research
Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Stroke.

Contact
Ruth Mylchreest
Study Coordinator
neuroresearch@waikatodhb.health.nz

Active/recruiting research
Clinically Isolated Syndrome Trial at present.

Main areas of research
There are multiple subtypes of breast cancer and we coordinate clinical trials introducing new surgical, radiotherapy and drug treatments for the different types of this disease. In addition we run the Waikato Breast Cancer Register, and coordinate local PhD and other research.

Contacts
Jenni Scarlet
Fiona Johnson

Waikato Breast Cancer Research Trust

Phone: 07 839 8726 ext 97916 or ext 97845
www.wbcrt.org.nz  

Active /recruiting research

  • POSNOC trial - POsitive Sentinel NOde: adjuvant therapy alone versus adjuvant therapy plus Clearance or axillary radiotherapy.
  • ROLLIS trial - Can Radio-guided Occult Lesion Localisation using Iodine-125 Seeds (ROLLIS) for excision of impalpable breast cancer reduce the rate of pathologically inadequate margins and/or subsequent oncological surgery compared with standard hook-wire localisation? A randomised controlled trial.

Completed research

  • International Breast cancer Intervention Study (IBIS) II Prevention and IBIS II DCIS trials.
  • SOFT - Supression of Ovarian Function Trial.
  • TAILORx – Trial Assigning Individualised Options for Treatment.
  • SOLE - Study Of Letrozole Extension trial.
  • SNAC2  - Sentinel Node biopsy versus Axillary Clearance trial.
  • QoLID - Quality of Life study of Immediate and Delayed breast reconstruction.
  • SUPREMO Selective Use of Postoperative Radiotherapy After Mastectomy trial.

Main areas of research

  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Gout
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematous
  • Scleroderma

Contact
Denise Darlington
Study Coordinator

Active /recruiting research

  • Rheumatoid arthritis – two trials.
  • Psoriatic arthritis – two trials.

Main areas of research

  • Medical Oncology Phase I-III: currently recruiting for melanoma, advanced solid tumours, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, urothelial cancer, oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer.
  • Radiation Oncology: currently recruiting for bladder cancer.
  • Haematology, malignant and non-malignant: currently recruiting for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), multiple myeloma, paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH).
  • We also support in-house, investigator-lead trials.

Our goal is to have clinical trials available in the main tumour streams across the unit. We continue to seek good quality trials that offer our patients an opportunity to participate in novel treatment options.  This allows us access to treatment for anticancer and non-malignant drugs that are non-funded, giving our patients a greater range of treatment options.

Contact
Wendy Thomas
Clinical Nurse Manager

Trials completed or closed to recruitment

  • Medical Oncology: melanoma, prostate cancer, advanced solid tumours, breast cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, non-small cell lung cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer.
  • Haematology: PNH, chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), multiple myeloma, Hodgkins lymphoma, haemophilia, myelofibrosis.
  • Radiation Oncology: glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, rectal cancer, head and neck cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, lymphoma.

Main areas of research
Diabetes – cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, hypertension, diabetic  retinopathy, neuropathy, glucose control, devices for glucose monitoring and insulin delivery, diabetes and driving.

Contact
Annie Johnstone
Nurse Coordinator - Diabetes Clinical Trials and NZTA Diabetes Review, Waikato Regional Diabetes Service
Annie.johnstone@waikatodhb.health.nz

Active/recruiting research
Two studies are currently recruiting. These relate to progression of kidney disease in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (FIGARO-DKD and FIDELIO-DKD).

Completed research
Cardiovascular-related outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes when added to the current care for glycaemic control in a standard care setting (EXSCEL).

Contact
Deborah Peek
Nurse Coordinator

Main areas of research
Telehealth is the use of information and communication technology to deliver clinical services at a distance. Virtual health care encompasses telehealth and extends the definition to include mobile platforms that integrate with clinical systems to deliver a fuller package of care.

Contact
Denise Irvine
denise.irvine@waikatodhb.health.nz
Phone: 07 839 8899 ext 23255

Active/recruiting research

  • Clinician Perceptions of Healthcare Gamifications.
  • Identifying clinicians’ perspective on what makes patients unsuitable to use virtual mode for outpatient consult.
  • Telemedicine as an acceptable alternative to in-person clinics/phone call follow up for the provision of care to adults with epilepsy that improves access to healthcare.