Cohort Profile: The Swiss HIV Cohort Study

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Abstract
The Swiss HIV Cohort study (SHCS) was established in 1988. It is an ongoing multicentre, prospective observational study for interdisciplinary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) research in clinical, translational, basic, epidemiological and social sciences, and for addressing public health questions. It started with the enrolment of HIV-infected adults aged ≥16 years in a multicentre study and originally was financed by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). Some data going back to 1981 have been collected retrospectively. In 1995, the SHCS was reorganized with a clear separation between research and infrastructure budget. A Scientific Board, responsible for the evaluation of nested research projects within a defined budget envelop, was established. Moreover, each centre has been compensated/penalized according to its performance and, last but not least, quality control programmes have been implemented. In 2000 the representatives of clinics and laboratories were merged in the Clinics & Laboratories Committee. At the same time, funding was transferred from the FOPH to the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

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