• Data protection & ethics

CHOICE applies strict data protection and ethical standards across all its research activities.

On the ethics side:

• Every partner institution obtained ethics committee approval before any data collection started.
• An External Advisory Board provides ongoing oversight on ethical standards, diversity and research quality.
• All activities follow the ethical principles set out in the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

On the data management side:

• Data Management Plan and Data Sharing Protocol were approved
• IBA’s CLADE-IS data management system is certified to ISO/IEC 27001 and meets ECRIN standards
• All patient interaction data are anonymous

• GDPR compliance

GDPR compliance is built into the project from the ground up:

• All partners completed GDPR training.
• Data processing follows Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
• Data subject rights (access, rectification, erasure, portability) are respected throughout.
• Data Processing Agreements are in place between consortium partners.
• The DMP specifies what data is collected, where it’s stored, who can access it, how long it’s kept and when it’s destroyed.

• Accessibility statement

CHOICE is committed to making its digital resources as accessible as possible:

• Content is written in plain language, adapted to different literacy levels.
• Colour schemes are chosen for readability and accessibility.
• Navigation is designed to be straightforward.
• The website is available in English, Portuguese, Czech and Greek.
• The project’s advisory board includes an inclusivity expert to make sure the needs of underserved populations are considered in everything we produce.