Clinical research brings cutting-edge treatments to CHKD patients years before they are available to the public.
CHKD provides a setting for many clinical research trials. Highlights of the basic science research include protection of the newborn brain from the effects of hypoxic injury, new innovations to combat serious invasive infection, management of autism, and emergency interventions for asthma.
Research includes new medications and other therapies, clinical outcomes analyses and epidemiological studies sanctioned by the Eastern Virginia Medical School Institutional Review Board (IRB). There were 159 IRB-approved active funded studies in FY13. Topics of study included hematology/oncology, allergy/asthma, infectious disease, neurology, pediatric surgery, cardiology, otolaryngology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, child abuse, endocrinology, dermatology, neonatology and mental health. Many of these studies are stage-three clinical trials that bring cutting-edge treatments to CHKD patients years before they are available to the public.
In addition, there is an increased focus on registry studies across all disciplines. Data collected in these registries is intended to standardize optimal levels of care and lead to improved patient outcomes
CHKD is also a member of Children's Oncology Group (COG), an international research group that conducts clinical trials for children with cancer.
As a member, CHKD has access to the latest protocols for treatment of childhood cancer, providing the community and region with the best practices and treatment results from more than 240 COG-member hospitals in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.
In FY13, CHKD had 91 COG studies including LTF studies open to enrollment or undergoing data analysis. Several of these studies were included in COG’s long-term follow-up study, which collects data on patients who have participated in studies that are no longer open to enrollment.
In all, approximately 220 CHKD patients participated in either open or follow-up COG studies in FY13.