SwissPedNet

SwissPedNet has been on the move for more than ten years as a network: “what we have built up is something to be proud of, and something under constant change and development”. To make these features more visible, SwissPedNet relaunched its website in 2023. It also drew up a flexible Master Service Agreement template that sets out the general principles of collaboration and can be easily applied to various studies.

Highlights 2023

SwissPedNet relaunched its website.
Two point-prevalence studies were carried out involving all of SwissPedNet’s hubs.
SwissPedNet contributed to SPHN’s activities with the Pediatric Personalized Research Network Switzerland (SwissPedHealth) – a joint pediatric national data stream.
SwissPedNet finalised a Master Service Agreement template covering all large children’s hospitals in Switzerland.

Improving the quality of paediatric healthcare and children’s health in Switzerland through research

In June 2023, SwissPedNet conducted the second point-prevalence study (PPS) within the network investigating the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries in children treated in Switzerland’s children’s hospitals. All ten SwissPedNet hubs took part in both PPSs, collecting and entering their data. These point-prevalence studies highlighted two outcomes:

SwissPedNet is able to coordinate projects covering the entire country.
Data collection in Switzerland’s children’s hospitals is highly individualised, different from site to site, and far from being automated. The data collection needs to be improved and harmonised in the coming years.

Basic infrastructure and governance were established and nested projects were initiated for the Pediatric Personalized Research Network Switzerland (SwissPedHealth), a joint paediatric national data stream. The first data transfer from SwissPedNet hubs is expected in summer 2024.

Connecting within Switzerland and abroad to facilitate paediatric clinical studies

SwissPedNet actively supports multicentric and local studies as well as research projects. With the elaboration of a Master Service Agreement template, a first step has been achieved towards simplifying collaboration between the hubs.

SwissPedNet plans to further simplify collaboration and improve support for multicentre studies by providing its hubs with additional supporting documents that promote multicentre studies, increase data quality, and save resources.

SwissPedNet is a member of the connect4children (c4c) consortium, the pan-European network that aims to facilitate the development of new drugs and other therapies for the entire paediatric population. Several SwissPedNet hubs are currently participating in two studies (TREOCAPA and FIONA).

Innovative training and further education opportunities for the next generation

SwissPedNet held its tenth SwissPedNet Translational & Clinical Research Session at the annual conference of Pédiatrie Suisse.

In 2023, SwissPedNet organised several events to give the hubs opportunities for exchange. Two members invited all of the hubs’ employees (study coordinators, doctors, etc.) to Basel and Lucerne, which were excellent opportunities to see the hubs' premises and promote networking and collaboration between the hubs and SwissPedNet’s working groups. Furthermore, SwissPedNet organised a parallel session for study coordinators at its General Assembly, which included workshops on different topics (contracts, billing, QMS, SOPs, etc.) and promoted exchange.