[Patient-oriented multicentre research in surgery: the Surgical Trial Network (CHIR-Net)]

Patient-oriented clinical research in surgery requires prospective randomised multicentre trials (mRCTs) to generate valid evidence. In order to conduct high quality mRCTs, a network of surgical clinical trial centres is necessary.

The Surgical Trial Network (CHIR-Net), which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), was established as a structure of surgical regional centres. Currently, the CHIR-Net comprises 12 regional surgical centres with their associated clinical partner hospitals. The major aim of this network is to generate patient-relevant surgical questions of high clinical impact and to answer these questions in high-quality prospective randomised multicentre trials with well-trained study personnel.

Since 2006 32 mRCTs have been initiated in the CHIR-Net. Twelve surgical regional centres - in cooperation with 333 German and European hospitals - have recruited more than 7,500 patients. More than 80 surgeons have successfully completed the CHIR-Net educational curriculum for young surgeons.

The CHIR-Net has successfully established a national clinical trial network to investigate surgical questions in randomised multicentre clinical trials. A nationwide research infrastructure, including university and non-university hospitals as well as the associated clinical coordination centres (KKS), was created to ensure patient-oriented surgical clinical research in a network at the highest methodological level thus implementing evidence-based medicine in daily surgical practice.