Dr. Biljana Carevic’s Success Story in the ASPIRE-ICU Study

The ASPIRE-ICU Study Team spoke with Dr. Biljana Carevic, Principal Investigator and National Coordinator at the Clinical Center of Serbia located in Belgrade, Serbia.

This investigational site is the highest enroller on the ASPIRE-ICU study with an average of 9.9 subjects enrolled per month. Dr. Carevic shared her experience with the site’s overall performance.

ASPIRE-ICU Study Team: Thank you for your time and congratulations on your success in the ASPIRE-ICU study with nearly 10 subjects enrolled per month! We have noticed that you enroll 64% of all S. aureus positive screens into the study cohort, which is significantly higher than the overall average of 40%. How do you manage to enroll subjects from the patients screened?

Dr. Carevic: “In my experience, it is very important to have a dedicated team and also to be very involved as Principal Investigator. For instance, there is a daily so-called ‘open hour’ for family members of patients in the ICU to talk to the medical staff. I visit that open hour every day to speak to the families of potential subjects. I take them into a separate room to introduce myself and to discuss the study. In general, I am the one giving all informed consents. If I am on holidays I ask one of the anesthesiologists to give informed consent. In my opinion the personal contact with the family members is very important. Almost all families agreed for their relative to take part in the study”.

ASPIRE-ICU Study Team: That sounds as if you are very involved. How do you do this when you are not at work, for example, on the weekend?

Dr. Carevic: “I have an agreement with our microbiologist that when they find a good result (S. aureus positive patient) over the weekend they will call me and I come to the hospital to give informed consent”.

ASPIRE-ICU Study Team: Apart from this, are there other reasons that ensure you don’t miss a potential subject for the study?

Dr. Carevic: “We have a core team that is very dedicated and each has their own clear tasks. In the ICU, there are 3 anesthesiologists who are a part of our core team and 3 research nurses who know which patients are eligible for the study. One coordinating research nurse of our infection control team collects all the data and visits the ICU daily to discuss potential subjects for the surveillance cohort. Additionally, in the microbiology lab there is a very dedicated microbiologist who takes part in the study. In the first months, we worked closely together to make a good division in study tasks between the departments. There have been some problems, but the staff works as a team and we solve it together. Now, each team member knows what to do and when to do it. Finally, I am in daily communication with all of them to make sure each does their job and we do not miss any subjects”.

ASPIRE-ICU Study Team: Would you say that it is good organization and the dedication of your team that is of the utmost importance for your high enrollment?

Dr. Carevic: “Yes, I think that without this we would have enrolled maybe 30 subjects instead of the current 70”.

ASPIRE-ICU Study Team: Thank you very much for sharing your success in the study!