J-SUPPORT Policy No. 1 Basic Terms（Outline）
1.Definitions
J-SUPPORT (Japan Supportive, Palliative and Psychosocial Oncology Group) is a multi-center clinical study group that implements and supports approved research in accordance with J-SUPPORT policy for research supported by public and private research funding.
Under the Executive Committee, J-SUPPORT is composed of the Research Group, which provides research support; the Monitoring and Management Department, consisting of the Scientific Advisory Committee, Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC), Audit Committee, and Advisory Committees; and the Central Support Office, including the Data Science Team and Operations Office. J-SUPPORT is an unincorporated voluntary organization composed of J-SUPPORT Members (Fig. 1).
2.Objectives and Activity Goals
2.1 Objectives
J-SUPPORT aims to develop new treatments and verify standard treatments, verify support programs suited to the culture of and systems in Japan, conduct surveillance and clinical research on supportive care nationwide, conduct research activities to work toward the introduction and dissemination of standard supportive care based on scientific evidence, and establish supportive care in the field of oncology, which is inadequately addressed worldwide.
2.2 Activity Goals
J-SUPPORT activity goals strive to maintain and improve the lifestyle and Quality of Life (QOL) of cancer patients and their family, and develop systems that provide supportive care, through the following activities.
1) Provide accompanying support from the research planning and formulation stage
2) Provide the opportunity for networking and bridge-building mediation among researchers
3) Implement high-quality research
4) Provide research infrastructure to improve quality
5) Propose outcome indices, such as QOL scales
6) Promote the effective introduction and dissemination of supportive care
7) Ascertain the actual situation and propose new research topics.
3.Basic Philosophy and Policy
3.1 Basic Philosophy
All of the research activities conducted by J-SUPPORT comply with the basic principles of medical research set forth by the World Medical Association in the Declaration of Helsinki, the various ethical guidelines established by concerned ministries and government agencies, and applicable laws and regulations and guidelines, to ensure the ethical, scientific, and reliability standards of the research.
3.2 Basic policy
The basic policy for the operation of J-SUPPORT comprise the following.
1) All Japan
Mobilize all the available resources in Japan, while being unconstrained by existing organizations
2) Bridging and optimizing
Optimize small-scale research through bridge-building mediation at the concept stage
3) Cooperation
Cooperate with existing research groups, to lead to reliable outcomes without becoming mired in individual interests, and work hard for patients and their families throughout Japan
4) Dialogue and diversity
Hold repeated dialogue among stakeholders while respecting regional, group, institutional, and occupational differences, making the utmost effort to develop supportive care
4.Organizational structure
4.1 J-SUPPORT organization chart
The J-SUPPORT organizational structure is as set out in the following chart.
Figure 1. J-SUPPORT organization chart (as of April 2023)
4.5 Research Support
4.5.1 Names of research groups
The following research groups are established within J-SUPPORT. (As of July 1, 2022)
|
Supportive and Palliative Care |
|
Psychosocial and Survivorship Care |
4.7 J-SUPPORT Members
Researchers involved in cancer supportive care research that aligns with the purpose and activity goals of J-SUPPORT, who apply for membership using the prescribed forms, and have been approved by the J-SUPPORT Chair after deliberation by the Executive Committee, are referred to as J-SUPPORT Members (or simply “members”). Members consent to the operations office managing the list of member names and using the registration information for the purpose of information exchange and network building.
Full contents