GMDS 2024 in Dresden offers practical insights into the subject of data protection

The 69th GMDS annual conference took place in Dresden from September 8 to 11. Guided by the theme “Health – thinking, researching, acting together”, scientists from various disciplines were brought together at the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden.

The topic of data protection was strongly represented this time. It started with a basic tutorial on “Data protection in medical research” organized by the TMF on Sunday (Dr. Drepper, TMF).

On Tuesday, an exclusive and well-attended data protection session provided insights into specific issues relating to the practical application and implementation of data protection. Two different approaches to integrating RedCap into Trusted Third Party infrastructures were presented: directly with E-PIX and gPAS (Christian Erhardt, UK Tübingen) and using THS-Dispatcher (Johannes Wagner, UK Hamburg-Eppendorf). A cooperation between the University Medical Center Greifswald and the Robert Koch Institute provided an overview of current and planned models for the establishment of trustee and trust centers. Johanna Schwinn from the University of Augsburg presented possibilities for simplifying Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMPC) and Dr. Monika Kraus (Helmholtz Munich) highlighted challenges in the coordination of ethics issues and discussed new approaches to coding consent semantics.

• Models of trustee and trust centers (Christopher Hampf, Greifswald & Henriette Rau, RKI)
• Pseudonymization in REDCap with E-PIX and gPAS (Christian Erhardt, UK Tübingen)
• Integration of Trusted Third Party Software into an EDC-System (Johannes Wagner, UK Hamburg-Eppendorf)
• Simplifying Multiparty Computation: A Client-Driven Metaprotocol (Johanna Schwinn, Augsburg)
• Managing Challenges as an Ethics Coordination (Monika Kraus, Helmholtz Munich)

The subsequent session focused on “Trustee services in medical research – needs and challenges”. Moderated by the TMF, providers of Trusted Third Party services in Germany were given the opportunity to report on their practical experience in the implementation of research projects. The session concluded with legal considerations of the terminology of trusteeships, which was enlightening and unexpectedly humorous thanks to the relaxed presentation style.

• Experiences and solution modules of the Trusted Third Party of the University Medicine Greifswald, Dr. Martin Bialke
• Trusted Third Party Dresden, Philipp Heinrich
• Trusted Third Party of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hauke Schneiderheinze
• Legal consideration “Trustee”, TMF, Moritz Steiner

Thanks a lot to the team of conference president Prof. Martin Sedlmayr for the outstanding organizational performance and the all-round successful event. We are already looking forward to the next GMDS 2025 in Jena.