The PHIRI Rapid Exchange Forum

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic demanded a quick exchange of those persons and institutions who were aiding the national governments in the crisis response. Thus, devoted members of the Joint Action on Health Information already in April ‘20 started to meet regularly online to foster cross-country exchange. In these meetings partners could approach each other for questions and shared views in a trusted environment on an ad-hoc basis. This initiative became an integral part of PHIRI, allowing a quick exchange of data, indicators, good practices and experiences in the COVID-19 crisis response in a structured and efficient way. Methods The bi-weekly 1h online meetings, in a moderated, structured format, have 2 parts: 1 pre-agreed topic (chosen via a survey ex-ante to each meeting) and ad-hoc questions. Answers (backed up by evidence like national reports, guidelines, etc.) are compiled and shared via a devoted platform immediately after the meeting. Every 6 weeks there is a special edition where experts present relevant findings and recent activities in the field. Attendees are project partners, national experts (advisors to ministers and heads of agency), representatives of expert networks (e.g. Healthy Cloud), EU services (ECDC, JRC) and stakeholders (e.g. ELIXIR). Results 12 meetings took place between Nov ‘20 and April ‘21 with ±25-30 attendees. Topics covered followed a needs assessment in Europe and not surprisingly were in line with public debates at the time: November meetings concentrated around testing options whereas in early ‘21 vaccination strategies of countries were in the focus. A widely recognised outcome was a survey on the (temporary) cancellation of the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine among most EU countries. Conclusions The Rapid Exchange Forum offers a structured and highly appreciated platform for regular quick exchange of fellow countries, policy advisors, Commission services and researchers in the joint efforts to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.