ACTA STInG Excellence in Trial Statistics Award recognises innovative stroke trial

Congratulations to Prof Leonid Churilov and Dr Hannah Johns on receiving the ACTA STInG Excellence in Trial Statistics Award at this year's Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (ACTA) Trial of the Year Awards. Prof Churilov and Dr Johns are both part of the Methods and Implementation Support for Clinical and Health research (MISCH) Hub which is a partner of the MCCT.

The ACTA Trial of the Year Awards celebrate excellence across Australia's clinical trials sector, recognising achievements in clinical trials, trial statistics, health economics, implementation science, consumer involvement and clinical quality registries.

The award recognises their outstanding statistical contribution to MSU TELEMED, the world's first randomised trial to evaluate telemedicine care in Mobile Stroke Units (MSUs).

The study compared specialist stroke care delivered by neurologists onboard the MSU with care provided remotely via telemedicine. The findings demonstrated that telemedicine can improve efficiency while maintaining patient safety, with only a small increase in treatment time.

Importantly, the results have already informed clinical practice, supporting the rollout of telemedicine neurologists across Melbourne's Mobile Stroke Units and helping to improve the sustainability of time-critical stroke care services.

A key strength of the trial was its innovative statistical design. The study incorporated a novel randomisation approach and a hierarchical composite outcome measure that balanced patient safety, treatment timeliness, and the efficient use of specialist neurologist resources. This methodology provided robust evidence to support future models of acute stroke care.