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European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network - Integrating Activity

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Strengthening European clinical research

Society benefits when research optimises treatment and contains healthcare costs. The harmonisation of European clinical research will achieve this efficiently as well as improve European scientific competitiveness and overall global health.

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Clinical research and trials are crucial to improved diagnosis, treatment and medical advancement. Due to its cost and complexity, clinical research requires extensive input and efficient organisation. This necessitates healthcare system cooperation at the national and international level as opposed to the current fragmentation. The 'European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network - Integrating Activity' (ECRIN-IA) project is focusing specifically on networking activities, developing common tools, and funding as means to expand ECRIN partnerships and impact on a global level. Overall, ECRIN-IA is aiming to use a broadened range of expertise to ensure the best selection and design of supported trials. Eight clinical trials have been established in its first eighteen months. The project has made many great strides since, most notably the successful establishment of international partnerships and the mapping and inventorying of clinical research capacities in Europe. Rare diseases, medical devices and nutrition are strategic areas within which the project is specifically focusing on establishing pan-European investigation networks. Recently, important progress was made with the updating of cohesive regulatory and ethical standards for clinical trials. This included a systematic review of monitoring practices and subsequent recommendations.  The project also provided awareness training for European correspondents over the summer, including the organisation of an International Clinical Trials Day. Training at the summer school included the development of a patient advocate online with interactive tools. This kind of training and other recent software updates are contributing to the project's continued goal of interoperability through the development of common tools and systems. In the long term, the project seeks to continue to improve clinical research cooperation in an efficient manner with a simple management structure for overall global health gain.

Keywords

Clinical research, scientific competitiveness, cooperation

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