Building a professionally recognised clinical trial workforce: Is it time for an education and accreditation strategy?

Abstract

Evidence-based medicine relies heavily on well-conducted clinical trials. Australia lacks a discipline-specific education pathway to provide the specialist skills necessary to conduct clinical trials to the highest standards. Unlike allied health professionals, clinical trialists who currently possess the specialist skills to conduct clinical trials do not receive professional recognition. The National Health and Medical Research Council defines 'clinical trialist' to include site staff as well as investigators. In this perspective piece, we explore the importance of discipline-specific education in creating a job-ready workforce of clinical trialists; the need for recognition of clinical trialists as an allied health profession in concert with their existing medical, nursing and other professional qualifications and outline a proposed specialist education and accreditation strategy.