This article argues that the [European] Commission should propose legally binding legislation to guarantee all workers, both women and men, protection against sexual harassment in Community workplaces. Section I describes the nature of sexual harassment, the problems it poses in the EC, and the effects of sexual harassment on people and businesses. Section II reviews existing Member State legislation and labor union policies and identifies the inadequacy of these measures to protect EC workers from sexual harassment. Section III describes existing EC legislation on sexual harassment and the equal treatment of women and men in the workplace and identifies the limitations of these measures in prohibiting sexual harassment.
BackgroundIn healthcare research, leveraging data is vital for driving advancements in treatment, diagnosis, and healthcare delivery. However, transparency in data use is pivotal for credible, reproducible findings. IntroductionOur initiative was designed to improve transparency in accessing the Optimum Patient Care Research Database (OPCRD: https://doi.org/10.2147/POR.S395632) and to highlight public benefits from utilising anonymised primary electronic medical record data. Our goal was to enhance user accessibility, transparency, and education about its use for research. Through new website content and case studies, we aimed to foster openness, accountability, and trust in research outcomes. Methods
Researcher engagement to outline the data access process, to improve accessible formats with clear guidance. HDRUK Transparency Standard 2 (application process). Stakeholder engagement to tailor our website content effectively by involving researchers, information governance professionals, and the public. HDRUK Transparency Standard 4 (audience). Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) workshops were held to find out what the public had to say about their health data being used for research and how it could directly benefit the public and improve healthcare outcomes. HDRUK Transparency Standard 6 (data use).
ResultsEnhanced Online Portal: our new online platform provides comprehensive information and educational guides on the OPCRD data access and data transparency procedures. This portal serves as a crucial resource for healthcare researchers and the public, facilitating transparent and efficient data utilisation. (https://www.opcrd.optimumpatientcare.org/health-data-for-research) Content Creation: we created new content and animated videos for the online portal. The additions ensured the accuracy of content on the platform, improved transparency and facilitated easier navigation of the data access protocols. The animated guides on general data transparency and accessing OPCRD data for research purposes resources significantly enhance the accessibility and understanding of health data for research initiatives. Case Studies Repository: we curated a repository of case studies showcasing the tangible societal benefits and the real-world impact of utilising healthcare data, contributing to a deeper understanding of its broader implications. These were created following PPI engagement workshops where we explored the public benefits of data for healthcare research. This initiative provided invaluable insights into public perspectives to utilising health data transparently and effectively. The PPI engagement events were attended by a diverse participant demographic. ConclusionsBy applying HDRUK's Transparency Standards and implementing user-friendly resources, stakeholder engagement, and public involvement, Optimum Patient Care UK has developed an accessible online portal and a repository of animated guides and case studies relating to accessing and utilising data from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database. These efforts improve user accessibility and education on healthcare data use and foster openness, accountability, and trust in research outcomes. Our project contributes to the broader goal of ensuring transparency in data utilisation, thereby advancing healthcare research and promoting public health initiatives. This project was funded by Health Data Research UK (HDRUK2023.0469), Optimum Patient Care UK Limited and Optimum Patient Care Global Limited.
Acknowledgements The authors thank the following individuals who contributed to the initial set-up of ISAR, provided input to the development of the protocol and/or were involved in local implementation of ISAR: Elisabeth Bel, Roland Buhl, Sverre Lehmann, Stelios Loukidis, Richard Martin, Juno Pak, Pearlanne Zelar ney, Joy Zimmer, Christena Kolakowski, Margo Brown, Jessica Cummings, Jennifer Brandorff, Seth Skelton, John Upham, Philip Bardin, Paul Reynolds, David Langton, Peter Middleton, Belinda Cochrane, Katya Vasileva Noleva, Plamen Hristov Yakovliev, Sonya Metodieva Genova, Violina Milchova Vasi leva, Darina Petrova Dimova, Nadezhda K Takovska, Cvetantka Hristova Odz hakova, Eleonora M Stamenova, Diana X Hristova, Vincente Plaza, Ian Hirsch, Cekomir Vodenicharov, Alexandrina Vodenicharova and Magdalena Alexandrova. Medical writing support was provided by Michelle Rebello, PhD, and Liam Gillies, PhD, of Cactus Communications (Mumbai, India). Funding The International Severe Asthma Registry is conducted by Optimum Patient Care Global Limited, and co-funded by Optimum Patient Care Global Limited and AstraZeneca. ISAR is supported by grants from AstraZeneca and Optimum Patient Care (OPC) Global (a not-for-profit social enterprise). The ISAR steering committee (ISC) was involved in the development of the protocol and is responsible for approving research proposals via a democratic voting process. In addition to 47 clinicians and researchers with an interest and experience in severe asthma, the ISC also includes members of OPC and four medical experts from AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca reviewed the draft before submission; however, decision to submit was made by the authors. Medical writing support was funded by AstraZeneca in accordance with Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guidelines (http://www.ismpp.org/gpp3). ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF
Publisher's version (útgefin grein) ; Background: Severe asthma exerts a disproportionately heavy burden on patients and health care. Due to the heterogeneity of the severe asthma population, many patients need to be evaluated to understand the clinical features and outcomes of severe asthma in order to facilitate personalised and targeted care. The International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) is a multi-country registry project initiated to aid in this endeavour. Methods: ISAR is a multi-disciplinary initiative benefitting from the combined experience of the ISAR Steering Committee (ISC; comprising 47 clinicians and researchers across 29 countries, who have a special interest and/or experience in severe asthma management or establishment and maintenance of severe asthma registries) in collaboration with scientists and experts in database management and communication. Patients (=18 years old) receiving treatment according to the 2018 definitions of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Step 5 or uncontrolled on GINA Step 4 treatment will be included. Data will be collected on a core set of 95 variables identified using the Delphi method. Participating registries will agree to provide access to and share standardised anonymous patient-level data with ISAR. ISAR is a registered data source on the European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance. ISAR's collaborators include Optimum Patient Care, the Respiratory Effectiveness Group (REG) and AstraZeneca. ISAR is overseen by the ISC, REG, the Anonymised Data Ethics and Protocol Transparency Committee and the ISAR operational committee, ensuring the conduct of ethical, clinically relevant research that brings value to all key stakeholders. Conclusions: ISAR aims to offer a rich source of real-life data for scientific research to understand and improve disease burden, treatment patterns and patient outcomes in severe asthma. Furthermore, the registry will provide an international platform for research collaboration in respiratory medicine, with the overarching aim of improving primary and secondary care of adults with severe asthma globally. ; The International Severe Asthma Registry is conducted by Optimum Patient Care Global Limited, and co-funded by Optimum Patient Care Global Limited and AstraZeneca. ISAR is supported by grants from AstraZeneca and Optimum Patient Care (OPC) Global (a not-for-profit social enterprise). The ISAR steering committee (ISC) was involved in the development of the protocol and is responsible for approving research proposals via a democratic voting process. In addition to 47 clinicians and researchers with an interest and experience in severe asthma, the ISC also includes members of OPC and four medical experts from AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca reviewed the draft before submission; however, decision to submit was made by the authors. Medical writing support was funded by AstraZeneca in accordance with Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guidelines (http://www.ismpp.org/gpp3). ; Peer Reviewed
