The Oklahoma Pediatric Clinical Trials Network

The goal of the Oklahoma Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (OPCTN) is to provide access for children in Oklahoma to state-of-the-art clinical trials and then share these findings to benefit the health of all children. The OPCTN will continue to be a member of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN). The ISPCTN facilitates involvement of sites in IDeA states to design and implement clinical trials related to the 5 primary ECHO focus areas: 1) upper and lower airway disease, 2) obesity; 3) pre-, peri-, and postnatal outcomes; 4) neurodevelopment; and 5) positive child health. These 5 areas of focus substantially impact the health of Oklahoma children, where our overall child health is rated amongst the worst in the United States. The first two phases of the OPCTN were successful in developing capacity for pediatric clinical trials through mentoring of junior clinical investigators, building clinical informatics resources, leadership with the ISPCTN network, developing clinical trials proposals, and participation in other ISPCTN-led trials. The OPCTN was consistently among the top recruiting sites within the network in most studies over the two cycles and led the development and stewardship of the iAmHealthy feasibility trial focused on pediatric obesity. For this next renewal phase of the OPCTN, we have assembled a mixture of resources within Oklahoma. The OPCTN is centered in the Department of Pediatrics and the Oklahoma Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. It combines the resources of Oklahoma’s IDeA-CTR, the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources, academic physicians at the state’s comprehensive health sciences center, clinical trials experts within the Department of Pediatrics, providers in Oklahoma communities, and practice-based research networks broadening the opportunities for children in Oklahoma to participate in clinical research studies. The OPCTN engages with communities and organizations throughout the state to allow their input on research project design, implementation, and community interest in research participation. The OPCTN also focuses on training junior investigators and research staff to enhance their experience in the design and coordination of clinical trials increasing the capacity of the state to conduct clinical and translational research efforts within the medical community.