Site audit

An effective site audit is a thorough and systematic examination of a research site’s processes, data, and compliance with regulatory requirements. At GCT typically involves the following key elements:

• Preparation: Before the audit, our auditors review relevant documents, including the study protocol, informed consent forms, and site-specific files, to understand the trial’s context.
• On-Site Visit:  We conduct a physical visit to the investigational site to observe operations, verify data, and interview site personnel. This provides a firsthand assessment of site practices.
• Data Verification: We verify the accuracy and completeness of trial data by comparing source documents with case report forms (CRFs) or electronic data capture (EDC) systems.
• Compliance Assessment: We assess the site’s adherence to the study protocol, regulatory requirements, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines. This includes evaluating informed consent procedures, documentation, and safety reporting.
• Documentation Review: Our auditors examine records and documents related to the trial, such as subject enrollment logs, regulatory submissions, and communication records with sponsors and ethics committees.
• Interviews: We conduct interviews with site personnel, including investigators, coordinators, and other key staff members, to gather information and assess their understanding of trial procedures.
• Findings and Observations: We document any non-compliance issues, deviations, or deficiencies identified during the audit. Distinguish between critical findings that could impact patient safety or data integrity and non-critical findings.
• Report Preparation: We compile the audit findings and observations into a comprehensive report, which includes a summary of the audit, identified issues, and recommendations for corrective actions.
• Corrective Action Follow-up: We track and verify the implementation of corrective actions by the site in response to audit findings. Ensure that issues are adequately addressed and resolved.
• Audit Closure: At the end, we conclude the audit by providing a final report to the site and relevant stakeholders. We acknowledge the satisfactory resolution of issues or outline any outstanding concerns.