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Article History

Received: 29 November 2022

Accepted: 1 October 2023

First Online: 18 October 2023

Declarations

:

: The authors declare no competing interests.

: According to Italian legislation, this project did not require formal ethical approval because it collected general opinions that do not include clinical data and neither personal data. Ethics approvals in Italy are regulated by the Regulation of the Ethics Committee of the Higher Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome 12th May 2015). This Regulation stipulates that projects with epidemiological, medico-social and evaluative contents need evaluation, approval and monitoring of trial protocols only if they contain personal data according to the Italian legislative decrees on clinical trials and function of the ethics committees (decreto legislativo 24 giugno 2003, n.211, “attuazione della Direttiva 2001/20/CE”; decreto ministeriale 8 febbraio 2013). The official definition of “personal data” is specified by the National Data Protection Authority (Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali, ExternalRef removed Regolamento (UE) 2016/679 art.9). According to this Regulation, the term “personal data” applies to data containing information about first and last name, images, tax code, IP address and license plate number. None of this information was collected in this study. The platform on which the anonymous questionnaire was completed does not allow us to trace the IP address of the person who connected to the survey. The data collected were absolutely anonymous, and tracing the identity of the survey participants was not possible. Moreover, this study did not involve patients and clinical data. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and/or their legal guardian(s). Consent information was included in the invitation and reminder emails. Participation was entirely voluntary, and consent was implied by responding to the survey. Data were anonymised and treated with the utmost confidentiality in accordance with applicable Italian data protection laws. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.

: Not applicable.