Biobank Sweden’s legal helpdesk

The Swedish Research Council-funded research infrastructure Biobank Sweden supports healthcare providers and universities with medical faculties working towards national harmonisation in biobanking.

Biobank Sweden’s ELSI Helpdesk launched in October 2018, with the objective of offering advice and information on the ELSI of biobank research in Sweden. The past two years have been an important learning experience regarding the type of support needed, and the Helpdesk was restructured during 2020 to better reflect these needs. The name was changed to Biobank Sweden’s Legal Helpdesk, to improve clarity and avoid misunderstandings regarding the nature of the service.

The varying sources of enquiries was an additional matter that needed to be addressed. Questions from the university sector and the healthcare sector typically represent different perspectives and contexts, which needed to be reflected in the make-up of the Legal Helpdesk. Accordingly, the structure of the Helpdesk has been altered to accommodate one legal representative from the healthcare sector, and one from the university sector, to better address the complex needs of the users of the service.

Through the Legal Helpdesk, Biobank Sweden will continue to contribute to the integrity of Swedish biobank research.