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Trial registered on ANZCTR


Registration number
ACTRN12616000930482
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
8/07/2016
Date registered
13/07/2016
Date last updated
13/07/2016
Type of registration
Retrospectively registered

Titles & IDs
Public title
Perceived barriers and incentives to medical specialists’ participation in research in Australian private practice: a survey.
Scientific title
Perceived barriers and incentives to medical specialists’ participation in research in Australian private practice: a survey.
Secondary ID [1] 289637 0
Nil known
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
Trial acronym
Linked study record

Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
research participation of medical practitioners in private practice 299429 0
Condition category
Condition code
Other 299411 299411 0 0
Research that is not of generic health relevance and not applicable to specific health categories listed above

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Observational
Patient registry
False
Target follow-up duration
Target follow-up type
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
The aim of this survey is to determine factors that may encourage medical specialists’ participation in research in Australian private hospitals. The objectives are to determine, in private and public hospital settings:
* Current and intended levels of participation in research activities
* Factors which encourage and discourage research participation, and whether these factors differ between practice settings.

In this analytical cross-sectional observational study, all salaried medical specialists and those who treated 50 or more patients at Epworth HealthCare in 2015 (estimate of 1000 medical specialists) were invited to complete an electronic survey in April 2016. Epworth HealthCare is a non-profit healthcare group based in Melbourne, Australia.

Participants answered questions regarding their practice setting (private, public or both), current and intended levels of participation in research activities, and level of agreement (on a 5-point ordinal scale) with a list of potential barriers and incentives to research participation.
Intervention code [1] 295251 0
Not applicable
Comparator / control treatment
Research participation of medical practitioners in private practice will be compared to that of medical practitioners in public practice.
Control group
Active

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 298878 0
Multiple primary outcomes - the extent to which respondents agree that listed factors discourage research in the private compared to public setting. Outcomes assessed on a 5-point ordinal scale, by a survey designed specifically for this study.
1. Lack of interest
2. Lack of time
3. Poor trial design
4. Don't know where to start
5. Unnecessary for career
6. Unnecessary for continuing professional development
7. Inadequate knowledge of study design and/or statistics
8. Inadequate research staff
9. No suitable mentor or supervisor
10. Inadequate funding
11. Insufficient support from hospital administration
12. Patients don't wish to participate in trials
Timepoint [1] 298878 0
At survey completion.
Primary outcome [2] 298898 0
Multiple primary outcomes - the extent to which respondents agree that listed factors encourage research in the private compared to public setting. Outcomes assessed on a 5-point ordinal scale, by a survey designed specifically for this study.
1. Research education
2. Availability of research staff
3. Assistance with writing grant and ethics applications
4. A role as part of a research team
5. Protected or remunerated research time
6. A supportive organisational culture
Timepoint [2] 298898 0
At survey completion
Secondary outcome [1] 325516 0
Multiple secondary outcomes. Outcomes assessed on a 5-point ordinal scale, by a survey designed specifically for this study.
1. Does the respondent participate in research in the private and/or public settings.
2. Would the respondent like to more, the same or less research than currently, in the private and/or public settings.
Timepoint [1] 325516 0
After survey closes.
Secondary outcome [2] 325581 0
Multiple secondary outcomes, if the respondent participates in research in the private and/or public setting. Outcomes assessed on a 5-point ordinal scale, by a survey designed specifically for this study.
Does your participation include:
1. Treating patients in trials
2. Trial design, implementation or data analysis
3. Writing articles, reports
4. Supervising others doing research
Timepoint [2] 325581 0
After survey closes.

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Eligible participants will be medical specialists who have admitted or treated 50 or more patients at Epworth HealthCare in the year ending 2015, and all salaried medical specialists (approximately 1000 clinicians).
Epworth HealthCare is a not-for-profit healthcare group in Melbourne, Australia. All medical specialties are represented over seven campuses in metropolitan Melbourne.
Minimum age
18 Years
Maximum age
No limit
Sex
Both males and females
Can healthy volunteers participate?
Yes
Key exclusion criteria
Medical specialists who have admitted or treated less than 50 patients at Epworth HealthCare in the year ending 2015.

Study design
Purpose
Natural history
Duration
Cross-sectional
Selection
Defined population
Timing
Both
Statistical methods / analysis
The sample size required for this study will be based on the all barriers and facilitators for doctors' research participation in either private or public sectors. There is scarce literature on which to base the sample size estimates. Hence assuming that at least 50% of doctors will identify each of the barriers or facilitators as present, 384 patients would be needed to achieve a 95% confidence interval with width of 10%. Accounting for a participation rate of 40%, invitation to participate in the survey will be sent to 960 doctors. This is achievable given the estimate of 1000 doctors who meet eligibility criteria of regular attendance at Epworth HealthCare.
All data to be collected through this survey will be categorical-scale data and hence will be reported as frequencies with percentages. Differences in reporting, of barriers and facilitators, between subgroups of the sample (for example by practice setting or clinical specialty) will be conducted using logistic regression for binary outcomes, nominal regression for nominal categorical data and ordinal regression for ordered outcomes. The regression models will further be adjusted for doctors' characteristics such as years of practice, gender and area of specialty. Statistical significance level will be determined at 5% and 95% confidence intervals will be reported. Stata Statistical package version 12 and upwards or SPSS version 17 and upwards will be used for analyses.

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Completed
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
12/04/2016
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
10/05/2016
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
Actual
10/05/2016
Sample size
Target
384
Accrual to date
Final
289
Recruitment in Australia
Recruitment state(s)
VIC
Recruitment hospital [1] 6134 0
Epworth Cliveden - Melbourne East
Recruitment hospital [2] 6135 0
Epworth Eastern Hospital - Box Hill
Recruitment hospital [3] 6136 0
Epworth Freemasons - Melbourne
Recruitment hospital [4] 6137 0
Epworth Rehabilitation Brighton - Brighton
Recruitment hospital [5] 6138 0
Epworth Rehabilitation Camberwell - Camberwell
Recruitment hospital [6] 6139 0
Epworth Richmond - Richmond
Recruitment postcode(s) [1] 13577 0
3121 - Richmond

Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1] 294017 0
Hospital
Name [1] 294017 0
Epworth HealthCare
Country [1] 294017 0
Australia
Primary sponsor type
Individual
Name
Nicole Tan
Address
Anaesthetic Services
Suite 5.8, The Epworth Centre
32 Erin St
Richmond
Vic 3121
Country
Australia
Secondary sponsor category [1] 292837 0
None
Name [1] 292837 0
Address [1] 292837 0
Country [1] 292837 0

Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
Ethics committee name [1] 295429 0
Epworth HealthCare
Ethics committee address [1] 295429 0
Mailbox #4
Epworth HealthCare
89 Bridge Road
Richmond VIC 3121
Ethics committee country [1] 295429 0
Australia
Date submitted for ethics approval [1] 295429 0
29/02/2016
Approval date [1] 295429 0
11/03/2016
Ethics approval number [1] 295429 0
EH2016-13

Summary
Brief summary
There is an ongoing need for clinician participation and collaboration in biomedical and health research worldwide. In Australia, clinical research activities have traditionally been based in major tertiary public hospitals with affiliated academic departments and research institutes. Australia’s growing private healthcare sector accounts for a third of hospital beds and two-thirds of elective surgical admissions. Despite potential research opportunities, there is anecdotal evidence that many medical specialists are reluctant to participate in research in private hospitals. The majority of published studies regarding incentives and barriers to Australian clinicians’ research participation focus on trainees, general practice, allied health practitioners and public hospitals. Other countries with substantial private healthcare systems such as the United States have significantly different funding and organisational models. The aim of this study is to determine factors that may encourage clinicians’ participation in research in Australian private practice, by surveying medical specialists who are frequent attenders at Epworth HealthCare. The results of the study will provide information on doctors’ current and intended levels of, and perceived barriers and incentives to, participation in research activities, and whether these differ between private and public settings.
Trial website
Not applicable
Trial related presentations / publications
Nil to date
Public notes

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 67286 0
Dr Nicole Tan
Address 67286 0
Anaesthetic Services
Suite 5.8, The Epworth Centre
32 Erin St
Richmond
Vic 3121
Country 67286 0
Australia
Phone 67286 0
+61 394277899
Fax 67286 0
Email 67286 0
[email protected]
Contact person for public queries
Name 67287 0
Dr Nicole Tan
Address 67287 0
Anaesthetic Services
Suite 5.8, The Epworth Centre
32 Erin St
Richmond
Vic 3121
Country 67287 0
Australia
Phone 67287 0
+61 394277899
Fax 67287 0
Email 67287 0
[email protected]
Contact person for scientific queries
Name 67288 0
Dr Nicole Tan
Address 67288 0
Anaesthetic Services
Suite 5.8, The Epworth Centre
32 Erin St
Richmond
Vic 3121
Country 67288 0
Australia
Phone 67288 0
+61 394277899
Fax 67288 0
Email 67288 0
[email protected]

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Results publications and other study-related documents

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