Ecraid Clinical Liaison Kick-Off meeting
The Croatian capital hosted the official introduction of the newly established role of Ecraid Clinical Liaison (ECL). Going forward, ECLs will be vital for supporting Ecraid’s efforts towards building a united European front against infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
25 participants from 14 countries took part in the hybrid event on 5 June, with the majority attending in-person.
The meeting began with an opening address by Ecraid's CEO, Marc Bonten, who introduced Ecraid and its origins in the EU-funded projects COMBACTE and PREPARE. The attendees learned about Ecraid’s governance structure and its Coordinating Committee made of representatives from the ECHOs (Ecraid Clinical and Hospital Oversights).
Miranda Hopman, head of Ecraid’s hospital network CLIN-Net, introduced the service and explained the importance of supporting and engaging hospital sites. CLIN-Net provides numerous benefits to participating sites and investigators, including support for EU project applications, statistical and methodological assistance, training opportunities, and the potential for collaboration on investigator-initiated studies.
Miranda emphasised that the ECLs will play an essential role in the collaboration between Ecraid and the hospital sites: "Without them we simply cannot achieve what we want to achieve".
Left: Miranda Hopman introduces CLIN-Net.
A great example of a well-established hospital network was presented by Ana Hernandez. Based in Limoges, France, Ana emphasized the importance of networking within the country and drew from experience in COMBACTE to provide tips for site engagement. She also highlighted the challenges and key factors for success in building and maintaining an effective network.
Pontus Naucler provided another excellent example – the ACTION (Alliance for Clinical Trials on acute InfectiONs) network in Sweden. He discussed the advantages of a national network and the potential for international collaboration through Ecraid.
The meeting continued with an interactive discussion on how to strengthen the role of ECLs. Attendees had the opportunity to voice their expectations for the role, what they hoped to gain from Ecraid and CLIN-Net, and the challenges they faced in collaborating within their own countries or regions. The brainstorming session covered topics such as network setup, infrastructure, site engagement, and the promotion of Ecraid within each country.
Attendees agreed that knowledgable, well-connected local representatives are invaluable for facilitating visibility, engagement, and the overall site selection process. Furthermore, regular country visits were strongly recommended, along with the creation of materials to promote Ecraid within the local context. It was agreed that yearly face-to-face ECL meetings and bi-monthly online meetings would be valuable for sharing knowledge and best practices.
As the meeting drew to a close, participants expressed their enthusiasm for the future collaborations within Ecraid. The event served as a platform for sharing experiences, learning from one another, and joining forces to advance infectious disease research. Ecraid's commitment to building strong clinical networks and supporting investigators in their pursuit of innovative studies is paving the way for significant breakthroughs in the field.