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What is happening in the development initiative: Coordination of feasibilities

Abraham Mellkvist-Roos has been the project leader for the development initiative “Coordination of feasibilities”. The initiative is finalized and in the interview below he tells more about the national service for study requests that has been developed.

Why have we had a development initiative in which a national service for study requests has been developed?

The interest among life science companies to locate clinical studies in Sweden has decreased, partly due to difficulties in obtaining answers as to whether a clinical study can be conducted in Sweden.

In initial interviews with representatives from the life science industry and the health care system, it emerged that study requests were in many cases not answered, or that it took too long to receive an answer, which meant that interest in relocating the study to Sweden decreased. It also turned out that these were often detailed questions about the clinic before it was decided that the study would be carried out in Sweden. In addition, the information provided by the questioner was often incomplete. Another source of frustration among clinical investigators was that they were contacted several times regarding the same study.

In order to create the conditions for shorter response times, the possibilities of developing a national service for study requests were investigated.

How does the service work?

Today, life science companies can receive answers to study requests directed at Swedish health care through the national service that has been developed. To make it easier for clinical investigators and experts, and at the same time create conditions for short response times, study requests have been divided into early inquiries about feasibility (so-called country/early feasibilities) and questions about contact with interested clinical invetigators (so-called site feasibilities). For both types, there are clear instructions for what information is needed from the questioner, which enables the clinical investigators and experts who are consulted to receive a complete basis and requests can thus be answered directly. With the service, life science companies can be offered more quick answers of high quality and contacts to suitable clinics as the nodes have broadened their local and regional contact networks to clinical investigators.

What have the reactions been?

It has been a very positive reception of the national service, from both life science companies and clinical investigators in health care. Among other things, industry representatives stated that the service contributes to Sweden's competitiveness and is of great importance for the opportunity to position Sweden as an attractive nation for clinical studies. In addition, the academic researchers who used the service have expressed appreciation.

What happens now?

A national working group continues the work of disseminating knowledge and further developing the service for study requests by conducting a dialogue with relevant stakeholders and following up study requests. The working group is also involved in the web development of the service, which will result in it being digitized and integrated on a joint website Clinical Studies Sweden is developing. With further web development, the service is improved and clinical investigators can more easily gain access to relevant study requests, which benefits the health service.

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