Helse Sør-Øst Research Network for Clinical Effectiveness in Gastroenterology

Head of network

• Prof. Michael Bretthauer, Oslo University Hospital/University of Oslo

Steering committee

The network includes the following hospitals (with principal network investigators in brackets:

• Sørlandet Hospital Kristiansand: Dr. Øyvind Holme
• Sørlandet Hospital Arendal; Dr. Ole Høie
• Telemark Hospital: Prof. Geir Hoff
• Vestfold Hospital: Dr. Birgitte Seip
• Vestre Viken: Dr Ole Darre-Næss
• Cancer Registry of Norway. Dr. Thomas de Lange
• Oslo University Hospital; Prof. Lars Aabakken and dr. Kjetil Garborg
• Østfold Hospital Dr. Per Sandvei
• Innlandet Hospital; Associate prof. dr. Per Olav Vandvik

Advisory board

Co-operation with international institutions/research groups:

• Prof. Miguel Hernan, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA
• Prof. Anders Ekbom, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
• Prof J. Regula, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center, Warsaw, Poland.
• Prof. Ann Zauber, Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Centrer, New York, USA
• Prof. Ernst Kuipers, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Prof. Lars Påhlman, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
• Prof. Rodrigo Jover, Alicante University Hospital, Spain
• Prof. Antoni Castells, Barcelona University, Spain

Results

Key features of the network since it’s establishment in 2013 are:

1. Establishment of research support facilities at Oslo University Hospital/ University of Oslo.
2. Establishment of professional database management system, in cooperation with Frontier Science Research Foundation
3. Design and implementation of research studies: We have developed studies in different areas of the network areas of interest, such as:.
   • European Polyp Surveillance trial, EPoS
   • NordICC
   • Gastronet
4. We have worked intensively with implementing research into clinical practice. The Gastronet project is now a national quality registry, and MAGIC has been launched as a pilot for clinical use in gastroenterology.
5. Courses in shared decision-making, overdiagnosis and medical publishing (in cooperation with the New England Journal of Medicine and Norwegian Medical journal), practical “Train-the-trainer” colonoscopy courses.
6. Researcher exchange programs.

Publications and honors

We have published more than 100 scientific articles since 2013, the majority in high ranking international journals. The cumulative impact factor of the papers exceeds 300, with more than 2,000 citations.

Network researchers have received national and international grants and awards. The network is main partner in the newly established KG Jebsen Center for Colorectal Cancer Research.