August 2017 meeting

Concept Development Workshop

Co-hosted by the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney (CTC) and Interdisciplinary Maternal Perinatal Australasian Collaborative Trials (IMPACT) Network

Expert facilitators: Paul Colditz, Peter Davis, Lex Doyle, Vicki Flenady, Chris McKinlay and Jonathan Morris

CTC and other faculty: Lucille Sebastian (Convener), Andrew Martin (Statistician), Lisa Askie (Epidemiology and Systemic Reviews), Hala Phipps (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and IMPACT), Lisa Bero (Charles Perkins Centre and expert in Realist Reviews) and Tony Keech (CTC Deputy Director)

The 2^nd IMPACT meeting for the year was for the highly anticipated second Concept Development Workshop hosted by the CTC in Sydney. The workshop is a dedicated space for groups to work on their trial ideas with guidance from leading, successful and experienced researchers. We had a wonderful mix of expertise in the room: clinical, statistical, epidemiological, translational, biological and much more. Six great idea were submitted this year including using a protein normally used by body builders in babies who don’t have enough oxygen through to preventing jetlag (i.e switching off light and sound in hospitals overnight) to help newborn babies in the long run or a U shaped pillow to help with pregnancy outcomes.  Over 50 participants and faculty attended the 2 day workshop.  

Preconceptions were left at the door as each group unpacked their ideas, taking on board suggestions and guidance from the CTC experts and their dedicated group facilitators.

The room was alive with energy and the groups worked really hard. Feedback from each of the groups and audience included words like: collaboration, community, openness, exchange of ideas, learning, leadership and access to experience, expertise in a frank and friendly forum.

Summary of concepts, leads and facilitators

Concept contact	Concept	Facilitator
Hayley   Dickinson	Maternal   creatine supplementation to reduce fetal compromise caused by hypoxia	Paul Colditz
Adrienne   Gordon	Advice   from a health care provider compared with a low  cost U shaped pillow and their relative impact to improve sleep position in   late pregnancy	Vicki Flenady
Amanda   Henry	Two   modes of iron administration for treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia in   pregnancy	Chris McKinlay
Ben Mol	Risk   assessment to reduce adverse outcomes in preeclampsia	Jonathan Morris
Jane Pillow	Circadian   rhythms to improve outcomes in preterm infants	Lex Doyle
Michael Stark	Pre-transfusion   red cell washing to improve neonatal outcomes	Peter Davis