Involving patients in academic clinical research: It’s time to walk the talk

Involving patients in academic clinical research ensures that research questions and clinical research outcomes are addressed and implemented in a manner relevant to patients. As one of our key strategic goals in the new 2021–2024 performance period, the Swiss Clinical Trial Organisation (SCTO) and its Clinical Trial Unit (CTU) Network are placing greater emphasis on the implementation of patient and public involvement (PPI) in academic clinical research. In pursuit of this strategic goal, the SCTO sent out a survey to relevant stakeholders in order to identify and characterise all PPI initiatives and projects in Switzerland and thereby establish the status quo. As a next step, the SCTO envisions establishing a central coordination and contact point that is pathology-independent and spans organisations. We aim for a sustainable, inclusive PPI approach in academic clinical research that is established in close collaboration with our partners and stakeholders.