Brain clinic wins quality mark ‘first’ for research
By Douglas Shepherd
A pioneering private mind and brain clinic has become the first network of clinical trial sites to achieve the best practice Global Clinical Site Assessment Standard (GCSA).
Re:Cognition Health’s commercial clinical research operating processes went through a rigorous evidence-based assessment to achieve all seven quality modules.
The consultant-founded company has eight centres in the UK and the US for international trials of disease-modifying and new symptomatic drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions.
It achieved the GCSA quality standard in key business areas: workforce quality accreditation (WQA), patient engagement, feasibility, study start-up and initiation, study management and closedown, R&D business strategy and governance.
The GCSA highlights high-performing sites and provides an independent assessment and report on the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of current operational processes. It is part of IAOCR, the international accrediting organisation for clinical research.
Vicky Eyre
Clinical operations director Vicky Eyre said Re:Cognition Health wanted to ensure it was providing the best quality service to patients, their families, sponsors and clients, while also developing our team.
‘Through the GCSA accreditation process, we have been able to demonstrate best practices and processes. We are very proud of our fantastic team and we are delighted that their hard work has been recognised with this accreditation.’
The GCSA gold standard has been ratified by a global advisory board of industry experts from a broad range of global and UK organisations and leads to a distinctive, internationally-recognised quality mark.
Dr Conor Clerkin-Oliver
This evidences that participating sites are operating to the highest global standards and builds confidence for patients, clinical trial sponsors and clinical research organisations.
Dr Conor Clerkin-Oliver, principal investigator at the company’s Birmingham centre, said: ‘In terms of the impact the accreditation process has had so far, we have seen that it is really useful to get an outside view from an independent organisation, receiving good, clear, structured feedback to streamline and improve processes.’