Data sharing has become a requirement of many funding bodies and is
becoming a scientific standard in many disciplines. In medical research, however, data sharing can conflict with clinicians’ obligation to
protect patients’ privacy. Although general recommendations on data
sharing already exist for clinical research, they are often not
applicable to aspects specific to Switzerland. This guidance document
from the SCTO’s CTU Network can fill this gap: it provides practical
recommendations for all relevant aspects of data sharing in accordance
with legislation in Switzerland. Included in the guidelines are details
of aspects to be considered, decision-making criteria, examples, and
checklists – all of which aim to support clinical research data sharing
in practice.