Collaboration provides clinical research of the highest quality

The Swedish Research Council has evaluated clinical research conducted at those county councils that are signatories to what is known as the ALF Agreement, an agreement between the Swedish Government and certain county councils regarding collaboration on educating doctors, conducting clinical research and developing healthcare. The evaluation was based on three different categories; the quality of clinical research, the clinical significance and social benefits of research, and the preconditions for the research.

“We will of course be studying the Swedish Research Council’s report in greater detail, but I can confirm that it demonstrates that the scientific quality of clinical research at KI-SLL is very high. The evaluation also points to a high level of quality in terms of the research’s clinical significance, social benefits and the preconditions. This is most gratifying and an acknowledgment of the fantastic job our staff are doing and that our collaboration with SLL is working well,” comments Ole Petter Ottersen, vice-chancellor of Karolinska Institutet.

The evaluation was carried out by three external and independent panels appointed by the Swedish Research Council after a nominations process.

“One area for improvement is our joint work on implementation, this is to say, our ability to translate our clinical research into practical healthcare applications so that it can really create value for patients. In cooperation with SLL, this will be a priority going forward. We need more research regarding how research results are implemented in healthcare,” says Ole Petter Ottersen.

From 2019, a new allocation model will be introduced for ALF funding, the state’s reimbursement for county councils’ undertaking to participate in training doctors and conducting clinical research. This model will mean that 20% of research funding will be allocated based on an evaluation of the quality of clinical research. The Swedish Research Council’s evaluation provides the basis for this allocation.

“I would like to emphasis that, in and of itself, our participation in the evaluation has provided us with a great many valuable new insights,” says Ole Petter Ottersen.

In parallel with the Swedish Research Council’s evaluation, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has been undertaking a government assignment to evaluate university hospital care. The National Board of Health and Welfare’s report points out that quality is generally good, although there are also areas for improvement here.