A Visit to INA-RESPOND’s Site Hospitals

A Visit to one of INA-RESPOND’s Site Hospitals

By: Hanum

On Monday, 5 December 2022, several NIAID representatives visited INA-RESPOND Secretariat, Jakarta, to discuss research activities by the INA-RESPOND network. On this occasion, INA-RESPOND Secretariat invited the NIAID delegation to visit one of the INA-RESPOND research sites, RSUP Persahabatan, in Rawamangun, Pulo Gadung. RSUP Persahabatan has participated in several INA-RESPOND studies, including the TRIPOD study – a TB study focusing on MDR-TB.

On this occasion, representatives from NIAID (Aaron, Jason, Ray Chen) and the INA-RESPOND Secretariat (Adhel, Hanum, Herman, Retna, Santo) were greeted by dr. Erlina Burhan and the hospital team. We discussed the INA-RESPOND manuscript, which will be published in international journals, and proposals for future research. Currently, the TRIPOD study has published one manuscript. The 2nd manuscript has been accepted on Frontliner and is awaiting a response from the editor. The research team is also in the process of discussing and drafting several other manuscripts. Dr. Erlina Burhan says that the RSUP Persahabatan Site is a potential INA-RESPOND network site for clinical trials and is actively conducting several clinical trials.

In addition, dr. Erlina and her team also invited us to see the clinical research unit at RSUP Persahabatan, SATURATE (Respiratory & Tuberculosis Research & Training Center) (https://www.saturate.co.id). One of the studies they are working on is a phase one multicenter clinical trial for a COVID vaccine. We had the opportunity to visit the Covid Vaccine study research location and see the data collection facility in RSUP Persahabatan Respiration Center Building. The clinical trial implementation facilities consist of an informed consent room, a vaccination room, a research document storage area, a post-vaccination observation room, refrigerators for storing vaccine products, and temporary storage cabinets to store research specimens.

The visit was insightful and fruitful. We look forward to conducting and collaborating with RSUP Persahabatan in the future.

A Visit to an InVITE Research Site

By: Eka and Restu

On December 5, 2022, Dr. Renée Ridzon and Jacqueline Perodin PhD, PMP [C], representatives of the sponsor, accompanied by several study team members from INA-RESPOND Secretariat, visited RSU Kabupaten Tangerang and its satellite site, Puskesmas Bojong Nangka. RSU Kabupaten Tangerang is one of the INA-RESPOND network’s hospital sites participating in the InVITE study.

The group was accepted at RSU Kabupaten Tangerang by the site’s Principal Investigator, dr. Dewi Lokida, Sp.PK(K) and two research assistants, dr. Naya and dr. Ivana. After a brief introduction, the team went to Puskesmas Bojong Nangka. The site team gave a presentation and talked about the InVITE research activities, such as the enrolment status, challenges during the course of the study, active and passive surveillance, profiles of study participants who agreed and refused to do symptomatic visits, and subjects’ follow up visit process.

Coming back from the Puskesmas, the team went to the INA-RESPOND research room at RSU Kabupaten Tangerang, where the representatives reviewed and discussed the Case Report Form, Source Document Worksheet, and some research forms of several subjects with the PI and research assistants. The research assistants also displayed a video of the process of subject follow-up visits, specimen collection and aliquot, placing specimens on Whatman cards, and storing specimens at the INA-RESPOND Reference Laboratory. During the visit, Renée also had the chance to talk and ask a study subject why she decided to participate in the study while explaining the many benefits of joining research. She also expressed her wish for the subject to be able to finish the study.

The tour ended with a visit to the INA-RESPOND Reference Laboratory to see its facilities and the supply storage area. Renée expressed her appreciation for the excellent performance of the research team at RSU Kabupaten Tangerang.

Attendees: