Clinical trials
The WA Country Health Service Trial Centre provides centralised coordination of clinical trials. With a focus on improving access to high-quality clinical trials for patients in country WA, it helps deliver place-based clinical trial therapy through a centrally connected service.
WA Country Health Service supports clinical trials of all intervention types including medicines, medical devices, software, behavioural changes and service changes.
The Trial Centre works collaboratively with the regions to implement the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework.
What is a clinical trial?
Clinical trials are medical research studies that aim to find better ways to manage a disease or condition.
The purpose of a clinical trial is to evaluate new approaches to learn how people respond to them and what side effects might occur as a result. They are considered to be part of best practice medicine and are one of many options for treatment of a disease or illness.
Find out more here: Consumer guide to clinical trials | Australian Clinical Trials
How can you access a clinical trial closer to home?
We can provide clinical trials to country patients by collaborating across health services using the Teletrial Model.
In a Teletrial, a specialist supports your local health professional to provide you with access to clinical trial therapy closer to home.
Would you like to join our Community Reference Group?
We are looking for people who understand what it is like to live in regional areas and are interested in improving healthcare access.
If you’re interested in joining, please contact us using the details below.
Phone: 0476 284 102
Email: WACHSTrialCentre@health.wa.gov.au
Complete the form: WA Teletrial Program
The Australian Teletrial Program
The Australian Teletrial Program aims to improve rural, regional and remote patient access and participation in clinical trials through the Teletrial Model.
The Teletrial Model
As an extension of the Primary Site, Satellite Sites are delegated an appropriate range of protocol activities by the Primary Site Principal Investigator, who provides specialised knowledge and oversight.
This collaborative model allows patients to take part in clinical trials closer to home while maintaining a standard of excellence in patient safety and data quality, and appropriate oversight by specialised clinical trial staff.
WA Country Health Service Trial Centre
Provides support for all aspects of trial management, including engagement, start-up and conduct (both virtual and on-site).
How can Teletrials help you provide clinical trial therapy for your country patients?
- Increased access: Patients in rural, regional and remote areas can participate in clinical trials without needing to travel long distances.
- Enhanced recruitment and retention: Broader recruitment and retention of participants in underserved areas, providing a more diverse and representative trial population.
- Guidance: Guidance available for all aspects of the clinical trial lifecycle, including start-up and conduct.
- Collaboration: Increased collaboration and communication between metropolitan and rural, regional and remote hospitals.
- Support and funding: The WA Country Health Service Trial Centre has a team of highly experienced clinical trial specialists to assist with virtual and on-site clinical trial delivery. Funding is available through the Teletrial Support Program.
How do I get started?
Contact the WA Country Health Service Trial Centre about the clinical trial you would like to extend to country patients at WACHSTrialCentre@health.wa.gov.au.
What happens next?
The Trial Review Group will review your trial for eligibility to ensure your trial is a success.
Documentation for the addition of Satellite Sites
- Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement
- Clinical Trial Agreements (please contact us to request)
- Teletrial Supervision Plan
- Funding guidelines for regional sites outside of WA Country Health Service
Introduction to Teletrials in WA
WA Country Health Service Trial Centre
The WA Country Health Service Trial Centre is based in Perth and delivers excellence in clinical trial conduct across the entirety of country Western Australia’s public health network – over 300 sites. These sites, though geographically dispersed, operate under streamlined processes with a single point of contact and standardised procedures.
The Centre's experienced Clinical Trial Delivery team collaborates with sponsors and metropolitan specialists, offering expertise in commercial research and innovative trial delivery methods, including data-driven patient identification and decentralised site-to-site trial delivery.
Where can I conduct regional trials in WA?
Partnering with our Trial Centre provides access to all hospitals, health campuses and health services within the WA Country Health Service network. The Trial Centre is connected to every tertiary hospital in WA.
The Principal Investigator can be located in either a metropolitan or regional area of WA.
We have inclusive recruitment strategies that can reach beyond specialist hospital clinics and access diverse patient populations in areas of high disease prevalence in rural, regional and remote communities across WA.
Associate Principal Investigator Scheme
Our Associate Principal Investigator (API) Scheme is developing the WA regional investigators of the future. This scheme creates opportunities for our healthcare professionals to gain practical experience delivering clinical trials in accordance with good clinical practice under the mentorship and supervision of an experienced Principal Investigator.
This supports the pipeline of our Investigators, who are highly experienced professionals that can deliver your clinical trial across a wide range of therapeutic areas. Sponsors that conduct teletrials through our Trial Centre receive additional support for this scheme through the dedicated trial delivery team and an API education scheme.
Clinical Trial Delivery team
Our Clinical Trial Delivery team is a group of dedicated, skilled and multi-disciplinary staff, including study coordinators, research nurses and clinical trial pharmacists. The team travels across country WA to support WA Country Health Service sites with clinical trial conduct in collaboration with regional Investigators and support staff.
Our Centre can support studies at all stages, including:
- Clinical trial start-up including ethics and governance.
- Patient identification, screening and recruitment.
- Conducting trial visits.
- Data management and follow-up.
Using virtual technology, our Clinical Trial Delivery team conduct trials remotely in accordance with regulations. Tools include:
- Salesforce® for trial pipeline management and site capability.
- Florence® Electronic Investigator Site File for essential record management.
- Florence® eConsent for remote patient consent management.
- Our virtual delivery pipeline also includes investigational product management software, recruitment software, 3D site videos and assisted reality headwear for virtual monitoring.
How do we improve equity in your trial?
We have developed a central service to support all non-traditional regional trial sites and ensure that the diverse communities across the state can access clinical trials as treatment.
How do I get started?
Contact the WA Country Health Service Trial Centre about the clinical trial you would like to extend to country patients at WACHSTrialCentre@health.wa.gov.au.
What happens next?
The Trial Review Group will review your trial for eligibility to ensure your trial is a success and suggest the most suitable sites for conduct.
Supporting research ethics and governance applications
WA Country Health Service is a single legal entity for all regional sites within its network, supporting the efficient submission, review and approval of Confidential Disclosure Agreements and research governance applications. Our Research Governance Office has a standard co-review procedure established with all WA metropolitan sites for streamlined governance review.
Documentation for the addition of Satellite Sites
- Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement
- Clinical Trial Agreements (please contact us to request)
- Teletrial Supervision Plan
The WA Country Health Service Trial Centre provides site specific education, training and support for health professionals and clinical trials teams both in person and online.
General clinical trial education is also available at: