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Welcome to the first issue of the ACTRI Center for Clinical Research (CCR) Monthly Newsletter. This newsletter will provide timely operational updates, process reminders, and upcoming events to support study teams using CCR services.

The negative pressure rooms in the La Jolla Main Clinic are available for study use. Please contact Bernadette Cale at bcale@health.ucsd.edu for any questions.

CCR Clinic Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are now accessible on the ACTRI website for easy reference:

The Clinic Appointment Request Form link has changed effective Tuesday, March 3! Clinic operations and your ability to request appointments will not be affected.

Beginning Tuesday, March 3, use only the new link below. The updated form looks similar to the previous one but offers a smoother, more user-friendly submission process. The new link will also be posted on our website and in public-facing SOPs. Be sure to save the new link and remove any old bookmarks.

****Effective Tuesday, March 3, use this link**** New Form: https://forms.monday.com/forms/52899b211ec1b0a779025c077650d9d8?r=use1

Please be reminded that the ACTRI clinic participant chart must include a copy of the signed consent form and a copy of the signed HIPAA authorization form. For studies utilizing eConsent, you should print the complete PDF from DocuSign, ensuring the saved signature block is included. The IRB information, participant name, and signature(s) must be clearly visible on all documents. Please note that the HIPAA signature page must be separate from the consent signature page.

The CCR Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for filing an iReport has been finalized. This SOP will guide you on how to submit an iReport. The clinic requests an iReport be submitted for all protocol deviations so they can be tracked and promptly addressed. An iReport should also be used to report any high risk or safety concerns that occur in the clinic. Access the SOP using the below button.

Since implementation and outreach to clinic users, only one iReport has been filed, which is a reflection of the overall strong compliance and care CCR staff and users consistently demonstrate. Please continue to follow the SOP and submit an iReport whenever a protocol deviation occurs to support compliance and quality monitoring.

Effective immediately, to better protect the privacy and integrity of study samples, study team staff no longer have direct access to lab freezers or refrigerators. All access must be coordinated through an ACTRI clinic staff member, who will retrieve specimens and document the access in the freezer log. A lock has been placed on the –80°C freezer to support this process. These changes have been made in response to a recent access concern.

As a reminder, clinic staff should be the only ones bringing specimens to the lab. In the rare event that a study team member must drop off a specimen, it must be handed directly to a clinic staff member and recorded in the “Specimen Drop-Off Exception Log,” located near the Kit Drop-Off Log. Specimens should never be left on the counter. 

After-hours lab access requires advance coordination:

Please note: overtime charges may apply when staff assistance is needed outside of regular business hours.

The CCR is developing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Daily Lab Operations. Once finalized, it will be posted on the ACTRI website.

The CCR Participant Experience Survey is now available in clinic spaces. Please encourage participants to complete the brief survey during or after their visit. Feedback helps inform quality improvement and service enhancements.

To support visit planning and coordination, Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs) are asked to notify the clinic when scheduling participants traveling more than 4 hours (drive time). When scheduling in Clinical Conductor, please include the following in the comments section: “Patient is traveling from out of town.” (Example screenshot included below.)

A standardized process for documenting visit cancellation reasons has been implemented in Clinical Conductor. When cancelling a visit, please select the appropriate reason to support operational monitoring and improvement efforts.

Since implementation in November 2025, CCR has observed a 64% reduction in cancelled visits. See the accompanying graph for a breakdown of cancellations by initiating party.

Note that when visits are cancelled by clinic staff it is usually due to missing orders, and when visits are cancelled by clinic management it is due to staff or room availability.

Date: March 25, 2026, 12-1PM
Location: via Zoom
Principal Investigators are invited to join CCR leadership for operational updates and open discussion. This forum provides an opportunity to share feedback and discuss priorities impacting clinical research support services.

If you would like to join this town hall and you have not yet received an invitation please email Amy Westermann at a2westermann@health.ucsd.edu.

The Clinical Trial Support Service (CTSS) team works closely with investigators and research teams who require additional support to invoice industry sponsors of clinical trials. This service streamlines the financial management of industry sponsored clinical trials by managing invoicing, tracking payment, and providing financial oversight from study activation to closeout.   

Service includes: 

Investigators are encouraged to submit a request for clinical trial invoicing during study start up. However, retrospective financial review of a study will be considered on a case by case basis. 

For more detailed information or to discuss how we can assist you, please contact us at  actri-ctss@health.ucsd.edu.