CLINICAL RESEARCH INTEGRATES WITH GP AND PHARMACIST WORKFLOWS TO SUPPLEMENT PRACTICE REVENUE Primary health introductions to clinical trials leverages community trust in HCPs
With Charlotte Bradshaw,
CEO and Founder Evrima Technologies
SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | January 2025
Clinical trials are crucial to the development of evidence-based preventative medicines. In addition, participation in clinical trials can also provide patients with opportunities to access new treatments.
“Clinical trials are at the heart of medical advances which look into new ways to treat, prevent, or detect disease. Volunteers often do so to help contribute to advancing scientific research, knowing that they are participating in the hope of helping future generations,” said Charlotte Bradshaw, CEO and Founder to Evrima Technologies.
Ms Bradshaw spoke to Australian Health Journal about Evrima’s mission. As an Australian-based digital health company bringing trials to patients, GPs and pharmacists, world-class researchers are able to connect to the wider community through primary health care.
There are hundreds of clinical trials happening around the country and they can take place in hospitals, universities, private clinics and dedicated medical research institutes, yet the trusted role of a GP and pharmacists has opportunity to connect the stakeholder groups.
Research reveals that in Australia, 79% of people would consider being involved in a clinical trial, and 69% would be open to hearing about clinical trials from their GP or Health Care Practitioner. However, barriers such as time constraints, workforce shortages and lack of knowledge about the trials have been identified as barriers to GP referrals.
Each year, clinical trials are conducted to investigate treatment strategies (75%), disease prevention (15%), drugs and medicines (45%), and devices, lifestyles, and behaviours.
In Australia, trials that attract higher participation often centre around cancer and cardiovascular disease. Health conditions such as mental health, neurological and musculoskeletal trials, as well as those dealing with everyday issues including asthma and hypertension, often experience lower rates of participation.
With around 80% of clinical trials being delayed due to recruitment issues, Ms Bradshaw says that new referral platforms such as Evrima’s Evripath can simplify the process for practitioners and patients.
“We understand the daily challenges faced by GPs, but also appreciate that GPs are the gatekeepers to patient participation in clinical trials that are working towards better community outcomes,” said Ms Bradshaw.
Note: Research noted above is cited in the segment
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Professor Clare Scott, a pioneering clinician scientist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, also serves as a medical oncologist at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the Royal Women’s Hospital.
Her comprehensive training in medical oncology has fuelled her specialisation in gynaecological cancer, combining rigorous research with clinical trials to improve patient outcomes. With over a decade of involvement in ANZGOG, Australia’s foremost gynaecologic cancer research organisation, she is deeply committed to advancing research and saving lives.
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Dr Wendy Falloon is an Anaesthetist of over 30 years experience and a Fellow of Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). She studied medicine at the University of Tasmania, and worked in Hobart, Sydney and the Uk while completing her specialist qualifications. Her primary professional focus has always been to deliver the best possible experience of anaesthesia to each and every patient, and for them to know that she sees and values them, and their stories.
Having been born in Africa, she realised even as a child that health and wealth were largely a product of where people happen to be born. This sowed the seed of her ongoing desire to be of help to others in less fortunate circumstances, ultimately leading to her volunteer work with the Mercy Ships charity. This is one of the most fulfilling aspects of her career, and she has volunteered in Africa with Mercy Ships 8 times since 2014.
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