Clinical Research Coordinator Level 3 Programme (August 2023 Intake)

Driving Excellence and Honing Leadership and Management Skills for Senior Clinical Research Coordinators

This August, SCRI Academy was thrilled to welcome 20 Senior Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs) and managers for the second run of the CRC Level 3 Programme.

Held once a year, this Level 3 programme is the latest addition to SCRI Academy’s suite of CRC training programmes, and it is the most advanced course offered by SCRI Academy to senior CRCs with at least five years’ experience in managing clinical trials and clinical research studies.

Throughout the four-day programme, the CRC leaders were engaged in problem-based learning and classroom discussions to learn about the key systematic process in clinical research operations such as department resource planning, as well as role-playing exercises to practice the soft skills learnt in an applicable setting. These are essential skills as senior CRCs step-up to become team leaders who not only oversee the daily operations within the department, but also mentor their juniors and be a role-model for them.

Participants deeply engaged in group discussions about stakeholder management and the finer details of clinical research operations.

SCRI Academy also invited guest speakers from the industry and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to share their perspectives and insights with the course attendees.

Two of the guest speakers included Dr Goh Siew Lee, Director, Patient Recruitment & Retention Management from Syneos Health and Ms Sumitra Sachidanandan, Regulatory Consultant at the Innovation Office & Clinical Trials Branch from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

Dr Goh offered insights and shared useful strategies for overcoming hurdles when recruiting participants to join a clinical research study. These include reaching out to patient advocacy groups, speaking to other colleagues who can help share information about the study across their networks, or listening to potential participants to hear them out and address their concerns or fears.

Dr Goh leading the session and participants brainstorming on strategies to overcome low recruitment numbers in clinical research

In clinical trials, maintaining a high level of compliance is a key determining factor in achieving quality research results and ensuring the rights, safety and well-being of the patients. As such, when non-conformities have been identified, swift corrective and prevention action plans (CAPA) have to be taken to eliminate the causes of non-conformities and to prevent its recurrence.

Ms Sumitra shared six steps of planning and developing a CAPA plan, including identifying the problem, evaluating the impact, performing root cause analysis, developing, implementing and following-up on the CAPA plan. The attendees were also guided on how to apply these steps through various case studies.

All smiles with guest speaker, Ms Sumitra, a regulatory consultant from the Health Sciences Authority

SCRI Academy also invited various corporate trainers to share on topics such as advance stakeholder management, leadership and coaching skills, and how to craft effective emails respectively. These courses helped participants understand the importance of context-setting or how staying mindful of potential cultural sensitivities when working with stakeholders can make a difference in building trust, establishing open communication and effective conflict management.

Throughout these sessions, attendees were introduced to the various management skills and refined their soft skills in mentorship and communication. This will help them mentor their team as well as manage various stakeholders such as principal investigators, study sponsors and trial site managers.

Congratulations to all CRCs who completed the programme and we wish you all the best in your career ahead!