Clinicum: Common support structures for clinical and translational research within KI and the Stockholm Region

The Clinicum project started in 2021 to improve the conditions for high-quality research and efficient use of health data at KI and in the Stockholm Region. The project aimed to develop the organisation Clinicum together with the significant care providers in the region. This involved developing structures for collaboration and access to support in epidemiology, biostatistics, bioinformatics, and other research methodologies, and developing processes for accessing health data from the region.

Read more about CLINICUM and the methodology support they offer

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Photo: Foto: Gerd Altmann, Pixabay.

The target group for Clinicum is the researchers and functions that use health and medical care data in research at KI and within the Stockholm Region. Clinicum was one of the projects included in the Information Management Programme at KI that is part of KI's university-wide operational plan of Strategy 2030.

In 2023, the Clinicum project transitioned into implementation with the task of establishing the support and proposing how the methodical support should work in the long term. 

2021–2022: The inventory of needs and pilot study 

The project had two phases. The first phase consisted of a needs inventory and the second of a pilot study where the developed model was tested and evaluated.

Needs inventory

As part of the needs inventory, a survey was conducted and answered by more than 500 researchers at KI. Of these, about 80% stated that they needed biostatistical support and about 50% that they required bioinformatics support.

Methodological support pilot

The pilot study was carried out during the fall of 2022 and included 20 ongoing research projects. The pilot project showed a wide range of projects and types of support requested (biostatistics, bioinformatics, AI) that in the current organization can only be partially met by established support functions.

A model for methodological support via Clinicum is summarised in the project teams report from January 2022 Report: Biostatistics, bioinformatics and other methodological support in clinical research projects. To receive any other reports from the project, please contact clinicum@ki.se.

2023: Establish the organized support and proposal for the organization of Clinicum

The results of the needs inventory, the developed method support model and the conducted pilot study form the basis for the continued work to create the organization Clinicum. In February 2023 Academic Vice President for Research decided that Clinicum will be conducted as an implementation project in 2023. This project is led by Sandra Eloranta, together with a new project team.

The new project team will:

  1. Establish operation and management of methodological support activities in biostatistics/bioinformatics, access to health data and new methodological areas based on conclusions from the pilot
  2. Establish structures for collaboration between the Clinicum nodes
  3. Develop proposals for long-term governance, financing, organization, and location of Clinicum at KI
  4. Develop proposals on how the activities should be integrated and create synergy with the research support at the Research Support Office (RSO).

Funding

The introduction of Clinicum is funded by the Collaborative organisation KI-Region Stockholm, Infrastructure Council, and operational planning funds (Strategy 2023) at Karolinska Institutet.