EPI-Net’s Role in ECRAID Base
On March 1st 2021, ECRAID-Base was officially launched. ECRAID-Base is the core set of activities of ECRAID (European Clinical Research Alliance on Infectious Diseases). ECRAID aims to establish the first sustainable European clinical research network for infectious diseases in Europe. The networks built in COMBACTE will transition into ECRAID. EPI-Net is COMBACTE's epidemiological network aims to harmonise and connect various European systems of disease surveillance, by linking clinical, microbiologic, and public health data.
Within ECRAID-Base, EPI-Net will continue to innovate epidemiological research and analysis of drivers of antimicrobial resistance and support clinical research services as part of the four interrelated workstreams of the DATA Work Package (WP9).
EPI-Net’s primary activities in ECRAID-Base will focus on highly collaborative efforts to:
- provide epidemiological insights,
- define clinical burden, and
- drive site selection for clinical studies.
Building upon its successful infrastructure, including surveillance tools such as EPI-Net central data repository, AMR travel tool, and Excellence centers, EPI-Net will continue its mandate to provide regular insights on the geospatial distribution and time trends of antimicrobial resistance, healthcare-associated infections, and emerging resistance patterns; highlight priorities for surveillance; and routinely update the strategic research agenda for epidemiological research and data dissemination.
The data for the EPI-Net surveillance tools, which are currently captured from external sources (publicly-funded surveillance systems, surveillance studies, etc.) will be linked with the epidemiological relevant data from the five perpetual cohort (PCO) studies constituting the heart of ECRAID-Base. By being involved at the early stages of protocol development, EPI-Net will contribute to the development of the database integrating the epidemiological data most relevant to the EPI-Net tools. The multifaceted data sources will support the evidence-based research on risk factors and burden of antimicrobial resistance with the final aim to increase the impact of the ECRAID-Base studies and underline needs for future trials.
Additionally, for the broad portfolio of clinical trials offered within the ECRAID-Base, EPI-Net will assist clinical site or country selection by reviewing local epidemiological data by clinical trials questions. An annual report based on the EPI-Net data repertoire will also facilitate site selection.
These activities laid out for EPI-Net in ECRIAD-Base are reliant on cooperation between various work packages engaging multidisciplinary teams. Synergistic values cultivated within COMBACTE will remain pivotal to sustainable and supportive advancement of clinical research envisioned within ECRAID-Base.
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