Abstract TP116: Impacts of Formal Clinical Trial Didactic Training for Vascular Neurology Fellows

Abstract

Introduction: A key barrier to stroke clinical trial recruitment is the lack of experienced investigators at the site level. However, there are currently no standards for training Vascular Neurology Fellows in clinical trial recruitment. We studied the impact of a formal clinical trial didactic curriculum on stroke fellows. Methods: Our institution initiated clinical trial training for Vascular Neurology Fellows in 2016 with the curriculum expanding year upon year (Figure 1a). We reviewed all clinical trial enrollments from 2015-2022 and determined the number completed by stroke fellows. The proportion of fellow enrollments was analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test. We surveyed past fellows to obtain their feedback on the clinical trial training curriculum and determine whether they were actively participating in clinical trials or planned to do so in the future. Results: Fourteen of sixteen (87.5%) past fellows completed the survey. Figure 1b shows fellow enrollment and total enrollments by academic year. The Mann-Kendall test demonstrated a trend for an increasing proportion of fellow enrollments during the study period (p=0.08). Seven past fellows (50%) are currently enrolling in clinical trials; four of whom (57.1%) enrolled greater than or equal to three subjects during fellowship. Thirteen (92.8%) intend to enroll in clinical trials in the future. Past fellows stated that the most valuable aspect of their clinical trial training was learning how an enrollment works and obtaining an informed consent. Conclusion: Our results show that a clinical trial didactic curriculum during Vascular Neurology Fellowship might increase clinical trial recruitment by fellows. Furthermore, engagement in clinical trial training and recruitment during fellowship was suggestive of continued engagement in future practice.