Stockholm scores high quality rating for societal and patient benefit of its clinical research
Region Stockholm has been given a high-quality rating by the Swedish Research Council (VR) in its evaluation of the quality of clinical research and how it is transformed into patient and societal benefit. The evaluation is important in many respects, including to the distribution of government ALF (Agreement on Clinical Research and Training) funds.
The evaluation is based on the ALF, which regulates the relationship between the government and certain regions on medical training, clinical research and care development. In its evaluation, which is published today, the VR has assessed three areas: the quality of scientific production, the clinical significance and societal benefit of research, and research conditions.
Scientific production in ALF region Stockholm is judged to be of “very high quality”, while the two other areas are deemed “good to high quality”, the same results as in the previous evaluation from 2018.
“The evaluation shows that Karolinska Institutet and Region Stockholm maintain a high standard when it comes to the quality and results of its clinical research and how they are implemented in practice,” says Annika Östman Wernerson, president of Karolinska Institutet (KI). “We’re on the right path and the efforts we’ve been making together are paying off. At the same time, the VR’s evaluation shows that there’s room for improvement in some areas.”
The joint KI-Region Stockholm management group will now scrutinise the VR’s evaluation in detail before laying the grounds for their joint strategy for further strengthening the clinical research and care development being done in the region over the coming years.
“KI and Region Stockholm now need to produce a plan together, based on the VR’s report, for creating even better conditions for clinical research and converting new knowledge into patient benefit,” says director of Region Stockholm, Emma Lennartsson. “Our ambition is to make Region Stockholm one of the world’s five leading life-science regions by 2025.”
KI and Region Stockholm will also be monitoring the ALF review announced recently by the government:
Four-yearly evaluations
The Swedish Research Council conducts an evaluation of the quality of the clinical research being done at the seven ALF (Agreement on Clinical Research and Training) regions every four years. The agreement regulates the relationship between the government and certain regions on medical training, clinical research and care development. The purpose of the evaluation is to provide a basis for the distribution of 20 per cent of ALF funding and to identify, spotlight and reward good examples in the regions that stand out nationally for their quality work. The long-term goal is to enhance all clinical research conducted in Sweden.