Clinical trials

Bendigo Health has made significant progress in its research maturity over the years, and we are focused on continuing to enhance our research capabilities while maintaining our commitment to practical, patient-centered research.

We are passionate about conducting applied research that provides the evidence base for best practice and translates into improved health outcomes for our regional communities.

We are working collaboratively with government, academia and other organisations to leverage external expertise and resources to help build our internal research capacity and capabilities.

Bendigo Health has been providing clinical trials to our community for over two decades. Recently, we’ve focused on growing our clinical trials and teletrials capability and workforce.

Our research specialist areas include allied health, cardiovascular, emergency, endocrinology, general surgery, haematology, infectious diseases, intensive care, mental health, oncology, orthopaedics, renal, respiratory, and women’s and children’s services. We will continue to build on our current clinical trial strengths in these areas, and will focus on increasing our clinical trials capacity across other specialty areas.

The Bendigo Health Research Plan 2022-2025 is designed to leverage our existing expertise in applied research and defines what research we undertake and why. The Research Plan also provides the pathway to further develop a positive research culture.

Bendigo Health is committed to the vision and principles of marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri: The Victorian Aboriginal Health, Medical and Wellbeing Research Accord. We will be guided by our community to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s cultures, worldviews, belief systems, and governance is at the centre of the research process. As a regional health service, we look forward to continuing our healing journey with our First Nations people and in building respectful research partnerships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal researchers and communities.

Our facilities include;

Fully accredited local medical imaging services; CT, MRI, PET, X-RAY, DXA, Ultrasound, Interventional Radiology, Fluoroscopy
Fully accredited clinical trial pharmacy and pharmacists
Fully accredited local pathology service
Clinical trial special equipment such as -80 degree freezer, centrifuge, laboratory processing area, phlebotomy service

Further information and contact details are provided in the Bendigo Health Site Profile.

What is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a way to access new treatments, medicines, interventions and medical devices. These trial options have already shown better results, they are just not available to everyone yet. It’s a way to give our patients early access to new treatments. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial please contact us.

You can find information on our current clinical trials at https://web.clintrialreferapp.com/searchTrial/list

Why are clinical trials necessary?

Clinical trials investigate whether new treatments are safe and effective for you.

They help to establish any potential side effects and what the correct dosing of a new treatment should be. This lets doctors decide if an intervention is more effective and/or safer than pre-existing treatments.

Results from the clinical trials may provide information about whether the treatment could be effective in treating or preventing other illnesses.

Without clinical trials, medicines and other treatments cannot be approved for use in Australia.

A clinical trial is a type of research study that tests how well a new medical treatment works in patients. The treatment, also known as an ‘intervention’ may be a drug, vaccine, device, surgical procedure, behavioural therapy, dietary change or a diagnostic test.