Introduction:
The role of Scientific and Clinical Research is progressively becoming more central to our clinical activity. In addition, all Scientific Research and in particular clinical research is based on the establishment of multicentric collaborative research networks, which allow us to increase critical mass and scientific competitiveness.
Thus, the Scientific Research Section emerges as the structure of the Portuguese Society of Ophthalmology that aims to promote synergies between members in order to enhance the clinical research developed in Portugal.
Our goals are:
- To promote the training of members in Clinical Research, namely in the elaboration, conduction and analysis of results from research projects in this area.
- To promote the creation of databases in the several areas of ophthalmology and to encourage its use by the members, making the necessary arrangements to be integrated in the health structures.
- Support Clinical Research projects structured in multicenter research networks, with the inclusion of national centers. This funding aims to support the design, raising of funding, implementation and conduct of research projects.
Structure:
The Scientific Research Section of the SPO consists of 3 areas:
- Training area: its mission is to disseminate and promote training actions in the scope of clinical research in order to improve members' literacy in this area.
- Area of promotion of participation in databases: its mission is the creation and dissemination of the various national databases dedicated to ophthalmologic pathologies. It is also its function to resolve the bureaucratic constraints that allow their use in the various Health Units.
- Area of clinical research projects: its mission is to create a support structure for the development, raising of funding, submission and conduct of national and multicenter clinical research projects. This mission aims at the autonomization of the various projects, with support provided during the various stages of their execution, using SPO members and partnerships established in the meantime.
