Safer Care Victoria

Improving equitable access across Victoria

Teletrials are now being delivered across an expanding range of Victorian health services. This growing reach improves equity of access by enabling more people  - including First Nations peoples and communities - to take part in clinical trials closer to where they live.

These partnerships strengthen safety, quality and oversight while widening opportunities for people in regional, rural and remote communities to access clinical trials and innovative treatments.

About our resources

Our resources support the planning, setup and delivery of teletrials in Victoria. They include templates, checklists and national guidance for health professionals, researchers and sponsors. All documents are reviewed regularly to ensure they are current and reflect best practice.

Teletrial publications and background

A growing collection of publications, reports and insights is documenting how the teletrial model is improving access to clinical trials and strengthening research capability. 

Teletrial Support Program (TSP)

The Teletrial Support Program (TSP) supports clinical trial sites to enable participation in the Australian Teletrial Program. TSP funding strengthens site capacity and capability while improving access to clinical trials for participants in regional, rural and remote areas.

Two programs sit under the Teletrial Support Program in Victoria:

TSP Program 1 – Start-Up Package Initiative

Supports eligible satellite sites to establish teletrials by providing early assistance to reduce administrative and start-up burden.

The teletrial model

Teletrials help people in regional, rural and remote areas access clinical trials closer to home.

A teletrial uses a cluster model where a primary site oversees one or more satellite sites. This allows people to take part in clinical trials closer to home while maintaining consistent oversight and safety. 

In a teletrial cluster:

How teletrials work

A teletrial links a group of clinical trials sites as a cluster to conduct a clinical trial.

A cluster includes:

• a primary site that coordinates the trial
• one or more satellite sites that deliver delegated trial activities
• a Principal Investigator (PI) at the primary site who provides supervision and oversight.

Telecommunications support collaboration, supervision and shared activities across the cluster, enabling distributed delivery while maintaining clear accountability.

Teletrials

Teletrials are a flexible way to deliver clinical trials. They bring trial activities closer to home for people living in regional, rural and remote locations. 

In a teletrial:

During pregnancy, you may be supported by different health professionals. 

Who you see and when depends on your model of care, your needs and where you receive care.

Your team works together to support you during pregnancy, birth and the early weeks after birth.

Victoria has a network of maternity services that work together to support people through pregnancy, birth and the early weeks after birth.

Services are described using capability levels.

Capability levels describe: 

What is a “model of care”?

When you book into a maternity service, you will be placed in a maternity model of care.

A maternity model of care is simply the way your pregnancy, birth and after-birth care are organised. It includes: