CHEETAH Results Impact on National Surgical Policy in Rwanda
Rwanda Hub Research Open Day sees healthcare professionals come together to discuss findings from across the Hub’s portfolio of work, including the CHEETAH Trial
The Research Open Day that took place on the 21st July at Lemigo Hotel in Kigali was attended by over 130 delegates, includig the University of Rwanda (UoR) VC representative, various faculty staff, UoR Dean of the Medical School and also surgeons, Spoke teams and medical students who took part in the various sessions hosted by the team throughout the day.
Dissemination of completed study findings took place, followed by a panel discussion between policy makers, academics, researchers, surgeons and hospitals leaders on how to start up taking CHEETAH findings. During the day, junior researchers and medicals students presented their proposal during a dissemination competition where the three best proposals were rewarded as part of surgical research promotion and capacity building. The Rwanda Hub will support each of the winning proposals with both in-kind and financial support to implement their research idea.
Other notable events from the day included one of the Director Generals based at a hospital within the GSU infrastucture recognised for his outstanding support for surgical research undertaken at the hospital he was stationed at.
You can view more information on the Rwanda Hub by clicking here.
Sustainability in Surgery Conference at the University of Birmingham
Conference on sustainability in surgery will look to explore an increasingly important aspect of providing surgical care globally
The one-day conference will see a range of experts from the field of sustainability and research orchestrate key note sessions throughout the day on ideas, research and innovation in sustainable surgery, with an emphasis on ongoing research projects and training opportunities. The area of sustainable research discussed during the event will include work undertaken in the UK that will translate into findings that can be utilised in surgical settings internationally, including low- and middle-income countries.
Attendees will not only benefit from exploring the topic through a variety of engaging methods of content delivery but will also receive accreditation for training on behavioural change and carbon literacy, in addition to obtaining a certificate of attendance.
Poster submissions will be accepted for national-level presentation at the conference.
When: Wednesday 13th December 2023 (8AM – 5PM UK BST)
Where: Great Hall, University of Birmingham
Who should attend: Peri-operative professionals, industry members, Allied Healthcare professionals
You can register for the event by clicking here.
India Hub Orchestrate Latest Workshop on Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Wound Care
Nursing and OT trainees take part in dissemination workshop looking into SSI reduction using results from the CHEETAH Trial
The Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata provided the bakdrop for the latest workshop, orchestrated by the India Hub with 48 medical healthcare professionals in attendance, consisting mainly of Nursing and OT Technicians. The meeting provided valuable insight into the concept of SSI for the attendees who were yet to start in their practical training and had little knowledge of the subject. SSI is a leading cause of hospital re-admission for patients post surgery, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and the main focus of the CHEETAH Trial that took place across 7 countries.
A number of the attendees will be working in the community setup such as in community healthcare centres where post-surgical care wound management is often a primary driver for patients seeking medical care in such areas of India. The session enabled attendees to take part in an interactive Q&A session where meeting orchestrators posed various questions to be answered by the attendees. In addition, a visual presntation was also provided to help engage attendees with the topic.
You can find out more on Community Engagement and Involvement activites by clicking here.
Further information on the India Hub can be found by clicking here.
Watch the GECKO Study National Leads Webinar Session Online
National Leads from the GECKO Study meet to discuss questions they have following on from the launch of the study in new webinar video
The online meeting that took place on the 31st July enabled all National Leads to ask a variety of questions to a panel of colleagues from the Operational Committee residing over the new study. Questions included issues relating to Data Transfer Agreement documentation, data validation, obtaining REDCap logins and information on data required for the 1 year follow-up for eligible patients.
The webinar is the first in a series of recordings that will be added to the official NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery (GSU) Youtube page that will provide information on the study as it progresses, with the general aim of the webinar series being to help provide an additional method for participants of the study to access information that may assist them during the study.
The GECKO Study (GlobalSurg-4) is an international observational cohort study that has already recruited over 1800 centres across 133 countries. The GlobalSurg Network collaborators will come to collect contemporaneous data on the performance and outcomes of cholecystectomy.
Further information on GECKO can be found by clicking here.
Watch the FOxTROT II Oncology Introductory Session Online
Lead Medical Oncologists from the UK and India discuss new trial looking to reduce likelihood of cancer returning in operable patients undergoing treatment for colon cancer
FOxTROT 2 will be conducted across 12 hospitals in India that include sites within the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery network. The trial will look into the use of a short course of pre-operative (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy for old/ or frail patients due to undergo surgery for colon cancer, with the aim of the trail being to significantly decrease the likelihood of the cancer returning.
The meeting on the 19th July was lead by a Professor of Oncology based at the University of Leeds in the UK who is also the Lead Medical Oncologist for FOxTROT Trial Platform, and was Chaired by Professor Dhruva Ghosh (GSU India Hub Director). Also in attendance were various colleagues from across India and the UK that will be participating in this international project.
The online training session gave colleagues in attendance the chance to be taken through an overview of the of the trial and also discuss the Oncology requirements for FOxTROT, due to officially launch in the coming weeks. The online video provides insight for stakeholders within the arena of global surgery to gain an understanding of some of the topics that are key to discuss during the early stages of designing an international randomised trial.
You can find out more on the India Hub by clicking here.
GSU Present on Collaborative Research During Scientific Conference Held in Nigeria
GSU Co-Director and Nigeria Hub Director discuss the GSU’s role in collaborative research at the 18th Annual Scientific Conference Gathering held at the University of Lagos.
Professor Dion Morton (GSU Co-Director) and Adesoji Ademuyiwa (Nigeria Hub Director) were able to join Dr. Ismail Lawani (Benin Hub Director) at the Conference that was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Lagos. The conference theme was on “The Impact of Collaboration on Clinical Research” and featured a guest lecture delivered by Professor Morton on the subject “Local Experiences in Genomic Studies”, in addition to Professor Ademuyiwa who was also able to speak during the meeting.
The annual Conference, hosted by the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine (CMUL), University of Lagos (UNILAG) brings together colleagues from across the University to take part in various scientific sessions that include panel discussions and an exhibition. The event also provides a platform for the Faculty to showcase achievements and contributions made throughout the year during the awards ceremony that also took place, prior to the event’s conclusion.
You can find out more information by clicking here.
For more information on the Nigeria Hub, click here.
Project of the Month Overview: Rural Surgery
July’s ‘project of the month’ shines a spotlight on the GSU’s work that has established pathways to rural communities in low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries
Rural surgery is a growing area of research within the NIHR Global Surgery Unit. Based on previous studies co-ordinated across the Unit such as FALCON and CHEETAH, data has been obtained from many centres based in rural areas across the organisation’s global network. Structures, process and outcomes from these centres are not known and there is a need for further research into this. Rural based communities are often under-represented within surgical based research, despite the fact that so many patients within LMICs may reside within rural settings.
Currently, work is being carried out on data from approximately 17K patients enrolled on both FALCON and CHEETAH to understand the patient-level factors and operative-level factors that govern these centres. Various colleagues from across the Unit are also working on further data to set research priorities in rural surgery that will help influence research carried out across the network.
The Rural Surgery Operations Team are looking to release a publication in the next few months, in addition to a Delphi planned thereafter to engage the network and further afield.
More information on the Unit’s work across rural communities can be found by clicking here.
GECKO Study Launch Webinar Video Available to View Online
Online video for the launch webinar provides a detailed oversight of the study that will look into the safe provision of laparascopic surgery for gallbladder disease
The online webinars that took place on Tuesday 18th July attracted a global audience of over 500 participants who were given the opportunity to ask questions to the global panel members leading the study. In addition to the panel discussions, participants were given information on the ethics required, how to enter data onto REDCap and areas of clinical practice where data will be collected. Particular areas of data collection that were discussed during the webinar included bile duct injury and incidental gallbladder cancer.
During the meeting, Mr Ewen Griffiths (Birmingham University Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust) explained why the Global Evaluation of Cholecystectomy Knowledge and Outcomes (GECKO) Study is being launched. He also explained why the study will be of great importance in highlighting the variations of safe provision of laparascopic surgery for gallbladder disease internationally, including low- and middle-income countries.
The study has already recruited over 1800 centres across 133 countries, making it the largest global cohort study to launch within the GSU to date. If you would like to register for the new study, you can still do so before the project officially launches on Monday 31st July.
The online video can be viewed by clicking here.
You can read more on the GECKO Study by clicking here.
Nigeria Hub Data Centre Officially Opens in Lagos
Nigeria’s Data Centre draws crowd for it’s official launch day, ahead of formal training beginning for students
The Nigeria Hub officially opened the it’s doors on Tuesday 11th July to an audience of colleagues from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL). Other colleagues in attendance were Chief Medical Director, Prof Wasiu Adeyemo, Chief Medical Advisory Committee of LUTH, Prof. Deji Oluwole, Provost of CMUL represented by Deputy Provost, Professor Sunday R.A. Akinbo, Dean of Faculty of Clinical Sciences College of Medicine the University of Lagos, Prof. Folashade Akinsola, Head of Department of Surgery College of Medicine University of Lagos, Director Finance of LUTH, Dr. Tajudeen Ibrahim and CMUL, Dr. Simeon Akinade
Following the official launch of the centre, a total number of 11 medical students will be trained by David Akinboyewa – Nigeria Hub’s Data Centre Strategist, as part of a bespoke training package that will enable each student to gain further insight into the various mechanics that are integral to data management research.
The Nigeria Data Centre will join the other existing centres in India and Ghana that will provide a formal training environment for data management, in addition to providing GSU collaborators improved access to datasets collected during international cohort studies. The centre forms an online home for the collection, analysis, evaluation and reporting of data in our Global Surgery projects. A key objective of the Unit is to share data to establish best practice, and ultimately, to improve outcomes for surgical patients worldwide.
You can read more on the Nigeria Hub by clicking here.
GECKO Launch Webinar - 18th July
The GECKO launch event will discuss key topics on the international observational study and feature talks from National Leads and Committee members
When is it?: Tuesday 18th July – 12PM UK BST (early session) and 5PM UK BST (late session)
Who should attend?: Surgeons, surgical researchers, surgical nurses, scrub techs, ODPs and allied healthcare professionals
The GECKO Study (GlobalSurg-4) will be an international observational cohort study. The GlobalSurg Network collaborators will come to collect contemporaneous data on the performance and outcomes of cholecystectomy.
The launch event will include a panel discussion featuring National Leads and Committee members who will discuss various aspects of this exciting new study that has so far managed to result in over 1650 hospitals sign-up to take part in the international study.
Register for the event by clicking here
You can also view further information on the study by clicking here.