There are about 3753 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Hong Kong. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
Objectives: To assess whether embryo transfer guided by three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) produces a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate than embryo transfer guided by two-dimensional ultrasound (2DUS). Hypothesis: 3DUS guided embryo transfer will produce a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate compared with 2DUS guided embryo transfer. Design and subjects: Prospective randomised control trial (RCT) at the Prince of Wales Hospital. Inclusion criteria include women undergoing embryo transfer in fresh and frozen cycles. Exclusion criteria include women aged >42 years and women whose endometrial cavity cannot be visualised adequately via US. Power calculations indicate that 232 patients per arm are required to demonstrate an increase of 12% in clinical pregnancy rates. Study instruments: US examinations will be performed using a General Electric(GE) Voluson series US machine with a standard 3D transvaginal probe. For embryo transfer, the Cooks Guardia Access EchoTip catheter will be used. Interventions: 3D versus 2DUS for guidance during embryo transfer. Main outcome measures: clinical pregnancy. Secondary outcome measures: implantation rate, multiple pregnancy, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and live birth rates. Data analysis: Data processing and analysis will be performed using the Statistical Packages of Social Sciences for Windows (SPSS, Inc). Descriptive and comparative statistical methods will be used to analyse the primary outcomes. P-values of <0.05 will be considered significant. Expected results: The study arm undergoing 3DUS guided embryo transfer are expected to have an improved clinical pregnancy rate compared with the control arm undergoing 2DUS guided embryo transfer.
Stroke is a leading cause of mortality, morbidity and rising healthcare cost worldwide. In 'real-world' practice, AF is often diagnosed too late at time of stroke and detection can be difficult because AF may be present without symptoms and intermittent in nature. Furthermore, utilization of adequate oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC) for stroke prevention is suboptimal in Hong Kong. The challenge is to identify AF prior to occurrence of stroke. The latest European guidelines recommend opportunistic screening for people >=65 years by pulse palpation followed by 12-lead ECG. However, 12-lead ECG requires a trained technician, time consuming, requires the patient to lie on an examination couch and is not readily available in most outpatient clinics in Hong Kong. A practical screening test is needed. Our study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and incremental cost of an outpatient based AFscreening program using the AliveCor device. Newly diagnosed AF patients will be randomized to routine care versus individualized stroke prevention strategy which consists of patient education, stroke and bleeding risk assessment, evidence-based OAC recommendation, patient audit and follow-up to improve OAC utilization for stroke prevention. We envisage this study will provide timely evidence to inform policy decisions concerning population-based AF-screening for AF for stroke prevention.
The purpose of this study is to examine whether a parental training program using group-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for childhood asthma care, is effective in reducing the children's unplanned health care services utilization and asthmatic symptoms.
This is an open-label, placebo run-in study to investigate the genetic and biomedical predictors of blood pressure response to bisoprolol. After informed consent is obtained, subjects will be withdrawn from previous antihypertensive therapy and given placebo for at least 2 weeks. Compliance will be assessed using pill counting, and any subject will a compliance less than 80% during the placebo run-in period will be excluded from the study. Bisoprolol 2.5 mg will be given once daily for 6 weeks. At baseline and after 6 weeks on bisoprolol 2.5 mg the clinic sitting blood pressure, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (if the patient is willing to do this), clinical characteristics and biochemical profile will be measured. Central aortic blood pressure will be measured with the A-PULSE device at baseline and after 6 weeks treatment. After completing 6 weeks treatment with bisoprolol 2.5 mg daily, the patient will continue treatment with bisoprolol for a total of 24 weeks unless there is any adverse event that requires discontinuation of bisoprolol.
Ideally randomized controlled trials should be carried out to compare the cost-effectiveness between FNAC and watchful waiting but such studies are very difficult to conduct in practice because they require following up very large number of subjects for a long period of time. The aims are to determine the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and HRQOL preference (utility) of patients undergoing watchful observation (no FNAC) and routine FNAC, and to determine the cost-effectiveness of two strategies in managing small incidental thyroid nodules for the Chinese population in Hong Kong.
Previous studies have shown that peripheral muscles weakness or inhibition is related to spinal disorders. Passive mobilization and manipulation are likely to reverse such muscle weakness for patients with spinal pain. The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of spinal mobilization on the maximal muscle strength of the shoulders.
This randomized, multicenter, partially double-blind, placebo-controlled study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and antiviral effects of treatment with RO6864018 in virologically suppressed participants with chronic HBV infection.
This proposed randomized controlled trial will test the effectiveness of a problem-solving based bibliotherapy program (PSBBP) for Chinese family caregivers in psychotic disorders (not more than 5 years onset). A repeated-measures, three-group design will be used to evaluate and compare the effects between two treatment groups(PSBBP and psycho-education group) and routine outpatient service and family support (control group) for 198 randomly selected family caregivers of outpatients with psychotic disorders over a 24-month follow-up. Before the 3-arm trial to be conducted, a pilot parallel-group randomised controlled trial with a similar study design to the later three-arm randomised controlled trial (Phase 2) will be conducted at one psychiatric outpatient clinic in Hong Kong. Receiving an additional funding from local government, another pilot two-arm trial will also be conducted for family caregivers of people with first-episode psychosis in the community to support and inform the 3-arm randomised controlled trial.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) due to lower limb arterial blockages affects significant proportion of the population with an age-adjusted prevalence of approximately 12%. Claudication induced walking impairment can be debilitating and adversely affects social, leisure, and occupational activities in many patients and is associated with higher mortality among PAD patients. Unfortunately, very few effective therapies are available to improve leg symptoms and exercise performance in PAD patients. Surgery is the last resort but results vary. Therefore, there is a large unmet need for medical therapies that can improve long-term walking performance and functional capacity in PAD patients. Danshen and Gegen (D&G) are commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. D&G study has been extensively researched and continued at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) for their antioxidative and vasodilator properties, modulate anti-atherosclerosis and improve arthrogenic athophysiology. Three randomized trials were completed at the CUHK showing D&G improved lipid profile, vascular function and thinned down the internal layer of the carotid artery. One may expect the same with lower limb arteries. Extensive clinical experiences of use in China and Hong Kong indicated that D&G are well tolerated and safe. This project is a randomized control trial to determine the efficacy and Safety of D&G in improving the functional capacity & QoL in patients with symptomatic PAD. The results of this study have the potential to change local and international practice in providing a much needed therapeutic option in the treatment of PAD.
RATIONALE: Radiation therapy given before surgery of soft tissue sarcoma decreases the size of the tumor mass and the presence of malignant cells in its peripheral region. NBTXR3 and radiation therapy may kill more cancer cells and increase the tumor shrinkage rendering surgery more feasible or easier and achieve better local control of the tumor. PURPOSE: This phase II/III is a prospective randomized, multi-center, open-label and active controlled two arms study in patients with locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the extremity and trunk wall. Patients will be randomized to receive either NBTXR3 as intratumor injection, activated by external beam radiation therapy or external beam radiation therapy alone, as preoperative treatment. Once the radiotherapy treatment is completed, tumor surgery will be performed in all patients.