This page contains links to information relevant to all staff working on ROCkeTS, including clinicians, nurses, research network staff and administrative staff.
Protocol:
IOTA ultrasound quality assurance (QA) process:
As part of taking part in ROCkeTS, it is likely that a member of the IOTA group based in Leuven, Belgium will assess some of the ultrasound scans performed by individuals at each site. This will entail reviewing the scan images uploaded onto the ROCkeTS database, as well as the completed ultrasound form associated each scan. The IOTA group will score each person on the information available, and ultimately they will be given a score of pass or fail, which will be relayed to them via BCTU. Along with this, individuals will receive advice on what they can do to potentially improve their score along with learning materials, should they wish to make use of them. Regardless of whether an individual has passed or failed QA, they may continue to scan as part of ROCkeTS and any scans they perform will still be used in the main study analysis.
Below is a video recording of a webinar hosted by Chief Investigator Dr Sudha Sundar, explaining in depth the QA process, as well as learning materials associated with IOTA ultrasound scans. If you are scanning as part of ROCkeTS, regardless of whether you have passed, failed or are yet to be QA'd, the ROCkeTS team highly recommends you make use of these:
- IOTA QA webinar (recording) - hosted by Dr Sudha Sundar. Please note, this video is only available to individuals granted access to view it. To obtain access, please email the ROCkeTS team to request this. When doing so, please provide a Google account (Gmail email address). Once approved, the above link will work.
- Online learning materials available via the IOTA group.
- 'Terms, definitions & measurements [...]' - a paper by the IOTA group.
- Logic rules - to help ensure you conduct IOTA USSs correctly.
Interview with the PI of one of ROCkeTS top recruiting sites:
We have recently had a chance to chat to Dr Sengupta from the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation about how they have managed to be a succesful recruiter to the ROCkeTS study.
We appreciate that issues surrounding recruitment can be complex, and following input from multiple sites, have compiled a recruitment troubleshooting guide, which you may find useful in improving recruitment at your site: