Frequently asked questions
1. What is Gothia Forum?
Gothia Forum is a resource to facilitate research collaboration which will
- lead to better health care for patients
- contribute to regional development
This will be accomplished by
- making Region Västra Götaland more attractive for clinical research
- generating revenue and funding for clinical research
2. Why was Gothia Forum created?
Gothia Forum was founded in order to simplify and improve the clinical research collaboration that already exists between Region Västra Götaland’s health care, academia and industry. The intention is to make it easier to initiate a clinical research partnership in Västra Götaland.
3. What is clinical research?
Clinical research is the type of research that is dependent on healthcare resources and will ultimately lead to further improvements in health care.
4. What is Västra Götaland’s position today, by European standards, regarding clinical research?
Västra Götaland is the region/county council which hosts the largest number of clinical studies in Sweden
5. Are research scientists obliged to contact Gothia Forum if they wish to conduct a clinical study?
No, Gothia Forum is a voluntary resource. Those who already have a partner or a portal can make use of it, although it should be advantageous to work with Gothia Forum, which is simple and provides a high level overview.
6. Is the industry obliged to involve Gothia Forum in order to conduct a clinical study at a hospital within VGR?
No, Gothia Forum is a voluntary resource. But for those research scientists working in industry who do not have an established contact network, it will be easier to work through Gothia Forum.
7. What are the advantages for industry from working with Gothia Forum?
Gothia Forum ‘knows’ exactly what kind of research is going on and can provide information about the likelihood of carrying out a study, or one similar to that which the industry would like to conduct. It will also reveal if there is sufficient patient data, etc.
8. What does it cost to use the services of Gothia Forum?
Contact, information and advice are free of charge! There is, however, a fee if you require assistance to conduct a study, need to access databases or, for example, use CTC’s (Clinical Trial Center) resources.