Guidelines for Research Communication at Oslo University Hospital

Research communication is also included as part of the hospital's Communication strategy. The main objective of this area is:

• Oslo University Hospital should be perceived as a leader in patient care, research, education and innovation

Focus areas in the Communication strategy:

• to showcase the hospital's expertise by sharing our knowledge with patients and the outside world.
• to profile the hospital as an attractive workplace and educational institution to ensure recruitment
• to communicate and share research results, innovations and clinical studies
• to strengthen cooperation with universities, colleges and innovation environments

The researchers can contact the hospital's Communications Staff for advice and guidance on how to communicate research results, innovations and clinical studies to relevant target groups.

When collaborating with other institutions on news articles etc., is it important that Oslo University Hospital is made visible as a contributor, e.g. both the authors side position and main position should be mentioned.

The most important platforms for research communication

1. Self-produced content - blogs (Ekspertsykehuset) and news articles on the hospital's own websites. The blogs and articles are posted at www.oslo-universitetssykehus.no and are linked together with other content on the websites (patient information, course of treatment, etc.). The bloggers are guided by the Communications Staff. The posts are communicated in external channels and social media, and also to relevant patient associations. Both blogs and articles often form the basis for mediation through other media as well.
2. News and magazine articles in the mass media
   Both via the Communications Staff and in direct contact between researcher and journalist.
3. The news page of www.forskning.no can be a good alternative. In English: www.sciencenorway.no
   Both editorial content from the editorial staff of forskning.no and content from member organisations. OUS is not a member of forskning.no, but UiO is and can therefore produce its own articles. Other media often use forskning.no as a source.
4. Chronicles and reader posts
   Contributes to making the research and researchers at OUS visible.
5. Facebook and other social media are used to share news and blogs
   Content is shared on the hospital's accounts in various social media. Cooperation with patient associations and other stake holders helps to spread the content further. Be prepared that impropriety personal focus may occur.
6. Researchers can use their own accounts in social media to share and comment on their own and others' research
   This must be done in your own name, possibly in the name of the unit. The Communications staff can arrange courses/training.
7. OUS participates as widely as possible in RHF's annual report on research and innovation
   Staff research, innovation and education takes, as its starting point, award-winning or nominated research articles from the last two six months periods when 10-12 candidates are to be selected for the report. Only 3-4 of these get space in the report, are posted on the internet as individual articles and shared. Other proposals are considered for publication under OUS auspices.
8. Research awards and article awards – researchers and projects are presented in own channels and in social media
   In addition to the news (overall presentation), individual projects that are suitable for external communication should be presented on other platforms as individual news stories.
9. Large and important project funding are posted as news in own channels and in social media
10. Research environments are made visible via the hospital's internet pages and www.ous-research.no.
    Articles in English aimed at researchers are also posted on www.ous-research.no.

The hospital's Communications staff also assist with courses in communication and blogging.

Clinical studies

For clinical studies, especially clinical trials, there are separate channels that provide an additional opportunity for dissemination and sharing:

• Presentations of ongoing studies on the hospitals' websites
  This is primarily a part of ensuring equal access to experimental treatment for patients, but also research dissemination.

• Registration of the results of clinical studies in international databases.
  This is primarily to share results at an early stage and highlight "negative" results that are difficult to get published (interventions that do not have an effect), thus preventing unnecessary repetition of studies.

The hospital has its own guidelines for registrations related to clinical studies.