Mrs Georgie Huggett1,2, Dr Claire Stokes1,2,3, Mrs Karyn Foster1,2, Dr Taylan Gurgenci1,2, Mrs Ngaire Kingi2, Prof Phillip Good1,2,3
1Mater Misericordiae Ltd, South Brisbane, Australia, 2Mater Research Institute – University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Australia, 3 St Vincent’s Private Hospital Brisbane, Kangaroo Point, Australia
Biography:
Since 2017, Georgie Huggett has been a Clinical Trial Coordinator at Mater Misericordiae, specialising in palliative care trials. She previously held key roles in Palliative Care and Cancer Care services at Mater, including Acting Clinical Trial Coordinator, Acting Clinical Nurse Coordinator, and Registered Nurse at the Mater Cancer Care Centre.
Georgie began her nursing career in 2011 at Townsville University Hospital’s Palliative Care Centre, where her passion for supporting patients with life-limiting illnesses was established. With expertise in trial logistics, compliance, and team collaboration, she is dedicated to advancing innovative interventions that enhance patient well-being and quality of life.
Abstract:
Background:
Patients in regional, rural, and remote communities often face limited access to clinical trials. Teletrials, a model supported under the Australian Teletrial Program (ATP), offer a solution by linking metropolitan trial centres with regional sites. This project implemented a medicinal cannabis teletrial to improve symptom management for patients with advanced cancer living outside major centres.
Aims:
To outline the implementation process, key milestones, and challenges of a statewide medicinal cannabis teletrial, and to share practical learnings to optimise future delivery.
Methods:
We mapped the trial journey from concept to activation. Data included communication timelines, ethics and governance submissions, agreement negotiations, and real-world adjustments made after recruitment commenced to improve efficiency and accessibility.
Results:
The trial concept originated at Mater Hospital Brisbane in early 2022, with collaboration discussions beginning in May 2022. Partnerships with the Queensland Regional Clinical Trial Coordinating Centre (QRCCC) were formalised by late 2022. Ethics amendments to include teletrial sites were approved in early 2023, followed by governance negotiations and supervision plan development from May 2023. The first site-specific approval was granted in April 2024, with a further eight Hospital and Health Services activated across Queensland. Recruitment commenced with culturally appropriate assessments and flexible review schedules tailored to patient circumstances. By August 2025, nine patients have enrolled from across the state. Major barriers included medication delivery to remote locations and coordination of local clinical oversight, prompting adaptive solutions within trial procedures.
Conclusions:
This teletrial proved that trial delivery and oversight are achievable in geographically dispersed populations. Success depended on strong cross-sector collaboration, agile protocol modifications, and culturally responsive care models. The learnings from this trial provide a framework for future teletrials to address barriers in rural and remote clinical research delivery.