[HIV/AIDS Competence Network. An example for research networking in Germany]

Thanks to a nationwide network of specialized, clinic-associated outpatient facilities and competent registered physicians, the quality of care for HIV-infected patients in Germany is high. Although basic HIV research is also well advanced in several centers, in contrast Germany's clinical HIV research is barely discemable on an international level. This deficit is primarily due to a lack of clinical studies involving patients from across the country and the fact that no national patient cohort system exists which could provide a basis for such clinical studies. The competence network HIV/AIDS aims to overcome this shortcoming by serving as a comprehensive, nationwide research alliance. The established patient cohort is linked to 13 projects. The infrastructure required for communications and data exchange will be based on a telematics platform. There will also be various service facilities established within the network, creating an organizational structure to promote the horizontal exchange of information between centers, as well as establish the vertical exchange of knowledge between physicians, patients, public health policy makers, and the general public.