USCIITG
About USCIITG
The U.S. Critical Illness and Injury Trials (USCIIT) Group is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIH) to create a clinical research framework that reduces the barriers to investigation using the same investigator-initiated, evidence-driven, inclusive approach that has proven successful in other countries. The dual missions of the USCIIT Group are to foster investigator-initiated hypothesis testing and to plan strategically at the national level. The USCIIT Group does not fund clinical trials per se, but rather promotes the development of evidence-based clinical protocols and the subsequent preparation of applications for funding to test specific hypotheses. Investigators that span the gamut of critical illness and injury specialties are involved in this collaborative effort.
It is expected that the USCIIT Group will act as a "network of networks", that is, it will not act in isolation, but will be part of a larger effort to bridge critical care trials groups world-wide. Its success will be based on collaborative leadership, non-hierarchical team culture, and open dialog among participants that will facilitate communication streams and help link new scientific knowledge with practice.
Aims
The specific aims of the U.S. Critical Illness and Injury Trials (USCIIT) Group are the following:
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Establish an inclusive, nationwide network of experts to review published data, establish national priorities, vet hypotheses, write clinical protocols, and generate pilot data;
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Promote interactions and synergy across established programs--both academic and non-academic--to improve the robustness (power) of clinical trials and test hypotheses in U.S. populations across the patient age continuum;
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Provide a venue to discuss education and training in the science of clinical trial design including, conduct, analysis, and reporting for critically ill or injured patients;
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Insure patient protection and privacy by addressing the ethical, legal, and social implications of research in the specialized circumstance of critical illness or injury.
Code of Conduct
The success of the U.S. Critical Illness and Injury Trials (USCIIT) Group depends upon a cooperative model of information exchange. The approach is inclusive and aims to learn from all those who advocate for the critically ill or injured. Hypotheses will be tested by multidisciplinary “teams” that openly solicit input and encourage collaboration among investigators with similar ideas across institutions. As many of these ideas will be novel and exciting, there is an inherent risk in sharing them. The USCIIT Group then relies on an implicit pact based on an honor system, wherein attendees are expected to:
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Respect the intellectual property presented and the previous commitments made by presenters and discussants.
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Disclose competing interests or obligations that may conflict with new or existing Projects.
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Refrain from using or sharing privileged information without the consent of the Steering Committee and the Project director(s).