The lifesaving role of RFDS Queensland
Photo: Dr Jacob O’Gorman and Maree Cummins, Courtesy of RFDS
23 October 2024
Every second counts with trauma care and Dr Jacob O’Gorman knows this only too well as the latest successful grant recipient of Emergency Medicine Foundation’s (EMF) Special Research Grants Program ‘Trauma Care in Regional, Rural and Remote Queensland’.
EMF’s grants program empowers frontline clinicians in Queensland to enhance trauma patient management, particularly for motor incidents.
It funds research to establish best practices in emergency care, identifies barriers to optimal care, and builds research capacity through scholarships, mentoring, and grants for clinician-led projects.
Dr O’Gorman is the Chief Medical Officer for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section), an aeromedical retrieval service that operates from the Torres Strait to the Tweed and across the border into the Northern Territory.
Due to the vast and remote areas the RFDS (Queensland Section) covers, this project will focus on the ways the organisation’s role in providing a critical lifeline, unlocking valuable insights from RFDS operations, enhancing the response to traumatic injuries and ultimately, saving lives.
EMF Board Chair, Prof. Hugh Grantham ASM, said this type of research remains crucial to improving patient outcomes.
“Trauma care research is essential for developing and recognising innovative solutions that truly meet the needs of our communities,” Prof. Grantham said.
“By equipping our frontline clinicians with the tools and knowledge they need to provide the best possible care, we can transform our approach to emergency trauma care, even in the most challenging circumstances.”
This analysis will include the crucial role played by the RFDS (Queensland Section) 24/7 telehealth services, the application of medical chest usage and the aeromedical retrieval model of trauma care.
“People in regional, rural, and remote areas of Australia face significantly higher risks of traumatic injuries and poor health outcomes compared to those in cities,” Dr O’Gorman said.
The RFDS (Queensland Section) receives thousands of calls each year, highlighting the need for more research and a deeper understanding of trauma cases, particularly motor vehicle crashes.
“Experienced clinicians are available through our service to provide advice remotely as well as medications and potentially lifesaving treatments from over 1,300 strategically placed medical chests that hold essential medical supplies and medications statewide,” Dr O’Gorman said.
RFDS Trauma Research Network
The study aims to establish the first RFDS Trauma Research Network to evaluate the service’s integrated telehealth, medical chest and retrieval model of trauma care for direct requests for help from patients, their families and carers.
Data from over 9,700 calls received by the RFDS (Queensland Section) will be analysed for demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, and retrieval outcomes of all direct calls for help, with a focus on traumatic injuries, particularly among motorists.
Additionally, the research will examine the differences between calls for traumatic and non-traumatic injuries, as well as between motorist and non-motorist traumatic injuries.
This focus will generate unique and impactful insights into who, how and why people contact the RFDS (Queensland Section) directly for help, and how well the service manages these requests.
Interviews with medical officers and flight nurses will contextualise and nuance the quantitative data, offering a comprehensive understanding of this critical service.
“Our aim is to provide new insights into the RFDS’s management of trauma care in regional, rural, and remote areas, addressing significant gaps in existing literature.”
“The results will inform the design and ongoing monitoring of RFDS (Queensland Section) services and establish the Trauma Research Network to enhance research capability; enabling ongoing improvements in service delivery and patient outcomes well beyond the project duration,” Dr O’Gorman said.
This Special Research Grants Program is supported by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC).
MAIC Commissioner Mr Neil Singleton said he’s looking forward to seeing the results of Dr O’Gorman’s research.
“The Royal Flying Doctor Service is a vital lifeline, ensuring that timely care reaches those in need,” Mr Singleton said.
“MAIC is pleased to support this project which is crucial for enhancing our understanding of trauma management in underserved areas.
“Effective trauma care in rural and remote areas hinges on clinician-researchers’ ability to leverage data to inform practice, create innovative solutions and improve health outcomes for all Queenslanders.”
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