Research capacity building: Redcliffe Hospital

Redcliffe Hospital Emergency Department (ED) has a growing research track record and an increasing number of clinical staff engaging in research-related activities. To capitalise on this burgeoning interest, we will funding a dedicated Clinical Research Coordinator to provide active support, coordination and promotion of both current and future research activities. The aim of our endeavour is to establish research as a core element of ED activity, together with education & training, provision of clinical care and maintenance of standards in healthcare. We intend to conduct our future research under the auspices of leaders and champions representing four thematic headings: 1. Clinical Care, 2. National Standards, 3. Systems and Process Design, 4. Education and Training.

Capacity Building Grant: Cairns Base Hospital

Cairns Base Hospital Emergency Department is committed to attracting the best emergency physicians and trainees. Our research commitment over the years, particularly the ability to provide 4.10.70 direction and opportunities, has been recognised by our peers as significant, particularly in an environment of heavy clinical \workloads and limited funding opportunities. In the past two years the CBH executive has worked to balance this by increasing staff numbers and allowing more academic opportunities for Emergency Physician and trainees alike.

This Capacity building grant allows the Hospital to appoint, for three years, Associate Professor Jamie Seymour from the James Cook University, School of Medicine and Tropical Biology, as a Research Fellow. A/Prof Seymour has a history of involvement in research with the Hospital's ED -- primarily, but not restricted to, toxinology and advice in study design and analysis. This grant enabled the Hospital to considerably expand and formalise the collaboration.

In his role as Senior Research Fellow, A/Prof Seymour will provide the experience and expertise need to help the Department apply for successful grant applications and help attract and immerse Emergency Medicine trainees in a fertile research environment that actively encourages them with their 4:10:70 as well as research in thelr ongoing career. The department believes that this approach will also increase its attractiveness to emergency physicians in relation to job placement and has unanimous support from the consultants in the department.

The department envisages that the Research Fellow would conduct research training on a weekly basis as part of the present teaching protocol where research ideas and published studies are discussed and examined, where experimental design and statistical analysis of proposed research projects can be developed.

Research Scholarship Grant Dr Jeremy Furyk

Status epilepticus (SE) occurs when seizures do not stop spontaneously and can result in long-term disabilities and occasionally death. There is a paucity of high quality evidence on SE, particularly in children and causes and outcomes are different from adults. This program of research on SE uses mixed methods to address this gap in knowledge. The research includes identifying consensus research priorities among experts and a qualitative evaluation of alternatives to informed consent (which is a potential barrier to prospective emergency research).

Research Scholarship Grant: Dr Jeremy Furyk

The importance of good quality clinical trials in health care is being increasingly recognized worldwide. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is the leading postgraduate medical institution in Europe in the subjects of public health and tropical medicine.
The Master of Science in Clinical Trials, conducted online, aims to provide those with some experience in the area of clinical trials to broaden their role in design, management, analysis and reporting of clinical trials.

The first year of the course covers the core topics of; fundamentals of clinical trials, basic statistics for clinical trials, clinical trials in practice and reporting and reviewing clinical trials. Techniques, and methods learnt from the course will directly benefit the Emergency Department at Townsville and with emergency medicine research activities at the hospital and within the region.

Capacity Building Grant: The Townsville Hospital

The Townsville Hospital Emergency Department (ED) aimed to increase research capacity in the ED . The vision was to create a sustainable research culture within the ED, with a positive research profile and a clear point of contact making Townsville attractive for collaborative research and to establish a track record of research success and outputs ensuring the long-term future of ED research.

Noel Stevenson Research Scholarship: Dr Colin Page

Dr Colin Page was awarded the Noel Stevenson Fellowship (in honour of eminent Queensland emergency medicine physician, Dr Noel Stevenson) to undertake a Doctorate of Philosophy (PHD). Dr Page is studying the antidotes and treatments that are commonly used by medical staff when looking after patients who are affected by drug toxicity. The PhD will be based at Princess Alexandra Hospital within the clinical toxicology unit with extension to other toxicology units/hospitals within Australia. It will be undertaken through the University of Newcastle (NSW) under the supervision of A/Prof Geoff Isbister and Prof Nicholas Buckley, who are both leaders in clinical toxicology research publications.

Dr Page has developed a clinical toxicology service at Princess Alexandra Hospital and Queensland through a locally run clinical toxicology unit and is the honorary medical director of the Queensland Poisons Information Centre. Clinical toxicology is the speciality that manages patients who are affected by drug toxicity either accidentally or in overdose. The project will primarily research antidotes and other treatments that are used in the management of toxicology patients. This will allow the introduction of safer treatments, new treatments and progressing the scientific basis behind treatments used in clinical toxicology.

Frank Garlick Research Scholarship: Dr Joseph Ting

The Frank Garlick Research Scholarship enabled Dr Joseph Ting to complete the Master of Science (Clinical Trials) at the University of London.

Capacity Building Grant: Gold Coast University Hospital

Capacity Building Grant: The Prince Charles Hospital

With an EMF Capacity Building grant, The Prince Charles Hospital Emergency Department has engaged in more than 20 research projects. The majority involve significant input from the Hospital's emergency clinicians, who are working in collaboration with other Queensland and interstate emergency department and/or academic institutions such as as CSIRO.

Projects include:
> DORM
> QAS Clinical Decision Making study
> ARISTOS, sepsis study
> REFRESH, sepsis study
> Paediatric ED evaluation
> Paediatric ED discharge communication
> Pneumothorax study
> Lung ultrasound study
> PHFEW, CO2 in paediactic nasal hi-flow
> POTTY, technique for urine sample collection for pre-toilet trained children
> ED complaints
> Pathology checking
> Melatonin for paediactric ADHD
> ED alternatives study
> Whiplash study
> EMER
> Interns prescribing abilities

Capacity Building Grant: Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) is constantly looking for better ways to improve the care of the sick and injured. Patients are cared for by a team of professionals including doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals. Improvements in care come largely from high quality research.

Our medical specialists in Emergency work on a wide range of challenging, innovative emergency medicine research topics. Their results are reported in some of the top professional journals, including the Lancet. Research led by other team members including nurses, however, is scarce despite the fact that these clinicians play an integral part in emergency care. We believe one of the main reasons for this is the lack of senior research mentors accessible to all clinicians in our department.

We propose creation of a dedicated research position to enhance capacity, develop grants and opportunity for research among our multidisciplinary team. She/he will identify key research questions, design scientific studies, write and submit proposals for funding, supervise the collection and analysis of study data, and support the preparation of reports for presenting and publishing in medical, nursing, and other professional meetings and journals. He/she will also provide training, guidance and encouragement to all ED staff to participate in research; liaise with other investigators (external to DEM) to facilitate optimum conduct of all departmental interdisciplinary projects. Furthermore, she/he will establish collaboration and professional partnerships with academic institutions and other research bodies to attract funds, grants and research to the department.

This position will help to improve the quality of emergency medicine research outputs from the RWBH and boost multidisciplinary team focused research in the department. It will also help build the knowledge base and provide the evidence to guide interventions by all health care workers in the emergency department.