Embracing diversity through POSTVenTT

Surgical trainee participation in multicentred trials has been shown to contribute significantly to advances in clinical practice, which in turn improves patient management and outcomes.

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, through the Clinical Trials Network Australia and New Zealand (CTANZ), is preparing a future surgical workforce of scientifically literate trainees who will develop the necessary leadership, training, organisational and analytical skills vital to successfully helping with large-scale clinical trials and studies, and also to understanding clinical research and how data can impact surgical care.

Over the last 12 months, CTANZ-associated studies have confirmed that trainee collaboratives can deliver unique and informative practice-changing research. In the SUNRRiSE International Collaborative Clinical Trial, trainees successfully recruited 300 patients at eight centres in Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand POSTVenTT members Top row, l-r: Dr Cameron Wells, Mr Chris Varghese, Ms Sarah Rennie. Middle row, l-r: Dr Matthew McGuinness, Dr Deborah Wright, Mr Liam Ferguson. Bottom row: Mr William Xu.

Building on this highly successful Clinical Trials Network (CTN)-UK collaborative model, CTANZ reached out to SET Trainees who, together with junior doctors and medical student societies, have created the critical mass that ensures patient recruitment numbers were met in a series of ongoing global COVIDSurg studies: several thousand patients were recruited by many hundreds of researchers. The collaborative framework within CTANZ has now facilitated more ‘homegrown’ multi-centred studies that will harness the energy and enthusiasm exhibited by junior doctors and medical students.

The rewarding experience provided by involvement in large-scale audits has whetted the appetite of this younger cohort of surgeons-in-training to assume greater organisational responsibility in conducting future multi-centred studies. Impeccable timing has played a part in presenting this group of juniors with an opportunity to lead and launch a new 2021 study in post-operative variability in anaemia treatment and transfusion, called POSTVenTT.

The POSTVenTT study, led by Professor Toby Richards, builds on a large multi-centre, randomised controlled trial, PREVENTT, and aims to increase our understanding of variability in adherence to anaemia management guidelines. It also aims to assess the impact on patient outcomes and readmission to hospital of anaemia management in clinical care following major surgery.

It is evident that a sustainable workforce can only be created and maintained by welcoming a diverse group of collaborators that includes junior doctors and medical students into the CTANZ program.

Professor David Watson FRACS

Professor Toby Richards FRACS