Primary Care Trials Unit
Specialising in primary care clinical trials
Our Focus
Our specialised team of primary care researchers develop and conduct clinical trials with a wide range of collaborators. Our focus is on health services research and implementation science using primary care innovation, clinical data analytics and linkage and co-design with consumers and practitioners.
We are experts in research and implementation in the complex, multidisciplinary primary care environment. We also develop and conduct process and outcome evaluations. These determine whether the intervention has been implemented as intended. Qualitative studies are often used for this because they offer contextualised insights into the trial. Our expertise includes:
- Practice and participant recruitment
- Implementation science
- Design and development of complex interventions
- Clinical and health services research
- Co-design working with the consumer interface
- Data linkage within and across sectors
- Use of de-identified GP patient data in trials and evaluations (Data for Decisions - using data from the Patron Program of Research)
- Risk stratification
What We Do
- Trial protocol development
- Sample size calculations
- Trials management
- Recruitment and promotion
- Randomisation schedules
- Development of Statistical Analysis Plans (SAP)
- Process and outcome evaluation
- Database development (including bespoke tracking databases)
- Data management and processing
- Co-design expertise at the clinical interface
- Processing and analysing large clinical datasets extracted from General Practice records
- Research translation and implementation for improved clinical practices and better patient outcomes
Driving Innovation in Primary Care - The role of the PTCU
Our Primary Care Trials Unit showcases how patients and general practices across Australia are empowered to participate in innovative, inclusive research. Learn how we are using secure, nationwide technology to make primary care studies more relevant and impactful for both patients and clinicians. Credit to VCCC for the original video content.
How We Do It
Primary Care Database
Victorian Research and Education Network (VicREN)
Expert Collaboration
Work Alongside our Academic Researchers
Marketing and Comms
Targeted Advertising and Promotion
Clinical Trial Recruitment
General Practice and Patient Recruitment
- Identifying a GP/practice that may be interested in a study and passing on details to a researcher and/or recruiting a GP advisor / associate investigator for a study
- Engaging with and visiting practices, educating staff about study details, and gaining their consent to participate
- Recruiting patients for trials within consenting practices under direction from the research team
- Identifying patients who may be eligible in our Data for Decisions/ Patron Program of Research and working with the GP practice to recruit them
- Organising and hosting events, e.g. focus groups
Breadth of Expertise
The Primary Care Trials Unit draws on the resources of the Department of General Practice and Primary Care and our partners beyond to bring together the most appropriate resources for your clinical trial. Our team includes:
- Methodology specialists
- Participant recruitment and messaging specialists
- Biostatisticians
- Data engineers, analysts and programmers
- Qualitative and mixed methods researchers
- Evaluation specialists
- Clinician researchers
- Trial coordinators
- Econometrists
- Applied ethicists
- Database managers
- Health services researchers
Our experience & networks
Since 2005, we have led over 25 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of which 56% of these trials have been funded in the last five years. Over 370 general practices and more than 24,000 participants were randomised across the 25 randomised controlled trials. We have expertise in the design and analysis of pragmatic trial in the primary care setting, particularly multi-site trials, cluster randomised trials, and stepped wedge designs. In addition to the conduct of randomised controlled trials, the Department has expertise in process and outcome evaluations, which determine whether the intervention has been implemented as intended. Qualitative methods are often used for this, as they offer information specific to the context of trial.
Some Department of General Practice and Primary Care staff are also part of the Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group (PC4) which specialises in trials related to all aspects of the cancer continuum from prevention to palliative care.
Our extensive research network comprises members of the Victorian Research and Education Network (VicREN) and general practices participating in our Data for Decisions program. Established in 2007, VicREN is a primary care, practice-based research and education network with over 200 individual members. Additionally, there are over 100 general practices and community health centres involved in the Data for Decisions program. We pride ourselves on facilitating collaborative research in primary care settings without compromising or interrupting clinical care.
Example Projects
Research interests within the Department of General Practice and Primary Care are listed below. Please click on the links to discover information about individual projects.
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Children and Young People's Health
Research Program Leader: Professor Lena Sanci
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Cancer in Primary Care
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Sexual and Family Violence
Research Program Leaders: Professor Kelsey Hegarty Professor Laura Tarzia
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Primary Care Mental Health
Research Program Leader: Professor Victoria Palmer
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Health And Biomedical Research Information Technology Unit (HABIC)
Research Program Leader: Professor Douglas Boyle
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Data Driven Quality Improvement
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Data for Decisions and the Patron program
Contact Us
Are you a primary care researcher starting a new clinical trial and interested in working with our researchers or collaborating with our Department?
Submit a request here: