Clinical trials

Chemokeyp is a feasibility study testing a secure ED-Oncology interface for patients receiving chemotherapy who may present to unscheduled care with possible treatment-related complications. Participants are enrolled through Oncology and issued a medical-alert-style wristband with a QR code. If they attend the Emergency Department, staff can scan the QR code, access a generic study landing page, and, after SVUH authentication, complete a short structured checklist about possible serious adverse events such as infection, chest pain, vomiting, syncope, or other red-flag symptoms. The platform is designed as a secure research data-capture portal, not an electronic health record or clinical documentation system. It does not read from or write to the hospital EHR, does not provide clinical decision support, and does not change usual clinical care. Data entered by ED clinicians are limited to predefined structured fields for research and safety-signal feasibility purposes. The study will assess whether ED clinicians can complete the checklist in real time, whether the information can support earlier notification to the research/trial team, and whether this data accurately corresponds with verified serious adverse events. If feasible, Chemokeyp could help improve communication between Oncology, Emergency Medicine, and trial teams, supporting safer care for patients on chemotherapy and informing future development of ED-oncology digital safety tools.

The purpose of this study is to compare two different creams (5-fluorouracil, known as Efudix, and calcipotriol, known as Dovonex) to see which one works better when used before Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) to treat sun-damaged skin on the scalp (called actinic keratoses). PDT is often used on its own to treat these spots, but it doesn't always remove them completely. Using Efudix or Dovonex before PDT might improve the results, but we don't yet know which is better. The main questions are - 1. Is efudix or dovonex better at treating actinic keratoses when used prior to PDT 2. Is efudix or dovonex more tolerable for patients? Participants will be randomised to treat their scalp with efudix or dovonex for seven days prior to their first PDT treatment. They will be reviewed on day 7, prior to starting PDT, and again a week later when they present for their second PDT treatment. During follow up, patients will be reviewed at 28 days, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after treatment. At each of these visits, the number of actinic keratoses will be counted, graded, mapped and photographed to allow assessment of improvement before and after treatment.