Mobile Clinical Trials Unit
Australia’s First Mobile Clinical Trials Unit - Bringing Research and Care Closer to Home
The Grampians Health Mobile Clinical Trials Unit brings clinical trial directly to people living across western Victoria, reducing travel and improving access to innovative treatments closer to home. As Australia’s first mobile clinical trials unit, it is helping ensure where you live doesn’t determine your access to research and care.
The Mobile Clinical Trials Unit enables selected clinical trial visits, assessments and care to be delivered closer to home. For many patients, this means less travel, reduced disruption to daily life, and greater access to potentially life-changing treatments.
Why a Mobile Clinical Trials Unit?
For many people living outside major cities, participating in a clinical trial can involve:
- Long travel distances
- Time away from family, work and community
- Additional accommodation and transport costs
- Reduced access to potentially life-changing treatments
The Mobile Clinical Trials Unit helps remove these barriers by bringing trial-related care closer to home. The Unit helps close the gap in healthcare access by delivering research and clinical care where people need it most. By reducing barriers to participation, more people can access the latest advances in medicine without the burden of travelling long distances.
Every kilometre the mobile clinical trial unit travels means greater access, better health outcomes, and stronger rural communities.
For Industry
The Mobile Clinical Trial Unit expands our ability to deliver decentralised trials across regional Victoria, supported by our experienced research staff. The van is fully equipped with the following technologies:
- Sample processing equipment including refrigerated centrifuge
- Portable temperature controlled storage for -80C and +4C
- Mains wired with onboard petrol generator and backup battery supply (approx. 48hrs “off-grid”)
- Air-conditioner and CO alarm
- Phlebotomy station
- Point-of-care equipment: ECG machine, vital monitoring, defibrillator
- Secure network access
To read more about our site and capabilities visit our For Industry page
Our Trial Participants
Our clinical trial participants come from not only Western Victoria but also across the breadth of Victoria, reflecting the broad geographic reach of our research program and the communities we serve.
Each dot on the map below represents the residential address of a clinical trial participant at the time of randomisation (2020-2024), illustrating how Grampians Health clinical trial opportunities are being accessed by people living in both regional and rural Victoria.
For Our Community
Our mobile clinical trials unit – affectionately known as “Carmel” – loves to get out and about in our community to discuss all things clinical research and trials. In the last few months we have been to the Wimmera Field Days, Ballarat Begonia Festival, ChillOut and others.
If you’re interested in learning more about Carmel and our trials program – please reach out to research@gh.org.au – we’d love to hear from you.
For more information about clinical trials visit our For Patients and Families page
First Nations Artwork
Carmel’s artwork reflects our commitment to cultural safety, respect and meaningful partnerships with First Nations communities across western Victoria.
The mobile clinical trials unit features artwork from First Nation Artist, Darlene Rumler. Darlene is a proud Ngiyampaa Barkindji woman.
The artwork, ‘Woven art’ has many layers of meaning, showing a map of Victoria and its neighbouring borders, Bunjil the Creator God looking over the Grampians region, medicinal plants, rainbow colours for inclusivity and woven aspects to demonstrate that we're all woven together under the banner of Grampians Health.
It pays tribute to and acknowledges the Traditional Owners of South-West Victoria, tied together and linked through history, kinship, Country, and connections, learning together and paying tribute to healing in modern, contemporary and traditional methods.
