How a CRC Enhances the Patient’s Journey at Moffitt
Cancer clinical trials have witnessed significant advancements in recent years, offering new hope to patients and providers alike. Yet, several barriers exist that may deter primary care providers from referring patients to clinical trials. Logistical challenges are one of them.
Moffitt’s clinical research coordinators (CRC) can assist with these logistical challenges to overcome concerns and ensure patients have access to the best and most innovative care possible. From addressing insurance issues and solving travel conundrums to closely monitoring the coordination of patient trial related activities, Moffitt’s CRCs play a vital role in expanding access to new treatments that are a part of a clinical trial and ensuring the best patient experience.
The CRC Role
Clinical research coordinators at Moffitt are essential pillars in executing clinical trials. They handle diverse and complex tasks, but their primary focus is coordinating clinical research activity, including patient enrollment and coordinating care by collaborating with medical staff while the patient is on a clinical trial. Alongside the clinical investigator, CRCs screen, enroll and follow study subjects, ensuring compliance with protocols and federal regulations by keeping proper documentation.
Each cancer program at Moffitt has a team of coordinators with the shared goal of providing patients with the best care and treatment choices possible. They serve an essential role as liaisons between the trial investigators, care providers, Moffitt regulatory staff, trial sponsors and patients. This role requires a high level of proficiency, critical thinking, independence, flexibility and organization. More experienced CRCs often provide guidance to lower-level coordinators as subject matter experts.
CRCs ensure meticulous care and excellent coordination for Moffitt patients throughout the clinical trial journey. When initiating study activities with new patients, part of the CRC’s job is to help patients determine whether a trial is right for them. They provide thorough information about the study drug, including its side effects and any known efficacy for their tumor type or other tumor types. They also reaffirm hope in patients, reminding them that their participation is always voluntary, with the option to change their minds at any time after the study starts. They ensure patients know that when choosing to leave a trial, they can always discuss other treatments and opportunities with their provider, including newly approved trials that frequently become available.
How Moffitt Can Help
Moffitt is available to support referring providers and their patients who may be potentially eligible for a clinical trial at Moffitt or elsewhere.
If you’re unsure whether one of your patients is eligible for a trial, Moffitt can help. Through a pre-screening process, our CRCs can review the trial’s eligibility checklist to determine whether a patient is grossly eligible. If they seem to be a good candidate, Moffitt will ask the referring provider to reach out to the patient for an introduction. Then, we will contact them to gauge their interest and schedule formal screening procedures to confirm eligibility.
For patients who are potentially eligible but not ready to enroll, Moffitt’s trial coordinators are also here to answer any specific questions that may be holding them back from participating.
And, when trials become available elsewhere, our medical care team can help Moffitt patients by facilitating communication with outside facilities to find additional treatment options.
The team at Moffitt is there every step of the way, as seen in Allison Edgecomb’s story of reaching remission in her breast cancer journey following participation in a clinical trial.
What to Know as a Referring Provider
Moffitt collaborates with referring providers to bring their patients to Moffitt, verify their eligibility for clinical trials and keep in touch on client progress throughout the clinical trial process.
Patients must first be established at Moffitt before being considered for one of our open clinical trials. Healthcare providers outside of Moffitt can contact us anytime to refer a patient. Once a patient relationship is created, their care team can further refer them to a CRC to discuss options and trial details.
The referring process within Moffitt is simple:
- A Moffitt provider sees the patient and reviews their medical history, including specifics of past treatments and any known tumor mutations.
- If the provider thinks the patient would be a good clinical trial candidate, they contact the clinical trial team to determine whether there are open trial slots for patients. If no slots are available, patients can be added to a waitlist.
- A CRC will perform a pre-screening process to investigate the patient’s chart and determine whether they could potentially be enrolled in a specific trial.
- If the patient is eligible, the CRC will tell the provider and the patient, and the enrollment process will begin.
If your patient participates in a clinical trial at Moffitt, you can always contact the CRC team for questions. You and your patients should also know that they will never be alone throughout the clinical trial. CRCs always look out for the patient’s best interest, serving as a primary source for answers to questions or troubleshooting logistics like travel or lodging during trial visits. Even if patients choose to cease trial treatment, CRCs will still contact them periodically to check on how they are doing, ask questions and report any updates they wish to share.
Moffitt is dedicated to simplifying the clinical trial process for providers and patients, from referral and enrollment to follow-up care post-trial. Our team is always available to answer questions, especially those not found in our frequently asked questions. We also understand that there are pervasive myths and misconceptions about clinical trials and do our best to clear up any concerns and instill confidence in the groundbreaking potential of clinical trials.
Supporting the Patient Through Their Whole Cancer Journey
As primary care providers, you play a crucial role in the healthcare journey of your patients, particularly when it comes to cancer. Your expertise in early detection and diagnosis lays the foundation for effective treatment.
When referring providers collaborate with oncology specialists and research teams at Moffitt Cancer Center, it creates invaluable progress toward improved patient care and outcomes.
Moffitt provides patients with comprehensive cancer care throughout their whole journey with specialized services and treatment options, including clinical trials and other novel therapies. This philosophy is a key part of why Moffitt’s cancer survival rates are up to four the national average.
To refer a patient to Moffitt, use our online form or contact a physician liaison. Online referrals are typically responded to in 24-48 hours.