ERS "CONNECT" Clinical Research Collaboration - moving multiple digital innovations towards connected respiratory care: addressing the over-arching challenges of whole systems implementation

In summer 2023, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) welcomed a new Clinical Research Collaboration (CRC) focused on implementation of digital respiratory health: “ CONNECT” – moving multiple digital innovations towards connected respiratory care: addressing the over-arching challenges of whole systems implementation . Historically, CRCs aim to foster research collaboration and stimulate joint grant applications around single respiratory diseases [1, 2]. In an innovative approach, “CONNECT” spans all respiratory diseases and ERS Assemblies, thereby not only connecting humans and digital devices, and patients with healthcare professionals, but also linking existing CRCs within the ERS. In this editorial, we introduce the rationale, aims and working groups of “CONNECT”. The new ERS Clinical Research Collaboration “CONNECT” aims to accelerate implementation of digital respiratory health technology The authors would like to thank all people that have expressed interest in CONNECT and already joined one or more working groups. Also, we would like to acknowledge the input of the expert advisory group (Arzu Yorgancıoğlu, David Price, Anita Simonds, Jerry Krishnan, Dennis Falzon and Barbara Hoffman) during the design of this CRC.