By: Allison Currie
Sometimes receiving lifesaving care, such as an organ transplant, recovery from heart surgery or during an unplanned medical emergency, requires around the clock monitoring and life-support in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In Halifax, critically ill patients are cared for at one of three sites: adults at the QEII Health Sciences Centre and Dartmouth General Hospital, and children at IWK Health.
Ensuring that you receive the best care possible in the ICU doesn't just involve the important clinical work being done by physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary care team. Nova Scotia Health, IWK Health and Dalhousie University are also at the forefront of collaborative research endeavors, combining expertise and resources to improve patient outcomes. This includes a passionate and innovative ICU research team working within an ecosystem of researchers locally and across the country.
The research team within the Department of Critical Care is unique because their clinical work includes both adult and pediatric patients, allowing them to study patients throughout their lifespan. What started as a small but mighty team has grown substantially over the last year, and their work is directed by the four pillars of their newly developed strategic plan: clinical innovation, quality improvement, education research, and patient and family engagement. The foundation of this plan is ensuring that the research team is engaging and supporting department members who may have ideas, clinical questions, or innovative solutions, but not the expertise or resources to turn these into research studies.
“The mission of our new strategic plan is to become Canadian leaders in critical care research across the life span, aligning our vision with Dalhousie’s signature research cluster of healthy people, healthy communities, healthy populations,” says Dr. Kristina Krmpotic, Research Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Critical Care, Dalhousie University. “At the core of this to identify research priorities, working with all critical care department members, including those whose primary academic interest is not research.”
Through harnessing the collective skills of healthcare professionals, researchers and academics, the partnership between Nova Scotia Health, IWK Health and Dalhousie University fosters an interdisciplinary approach to research, leading to innovative solutions that span different areas of expertise.
Critical care research is as diverse as the issues that bring patients to the ICU. The focus can be directly related to patient care in the ICU, or it could be research that helps keep patients out of the ICU entirely. For instance, participation in national, multi-center trials offers patients the opportunity to receive novel therapies that may be beneficial, while other studies have focused on risk factors for disease progression and improving the ICU experiences of patients, families and healthcare providers. Regardless of the topic, it’s easy to see that the research department is finding success at improving patient experiences and outcomes.
With a commitment to long-term collaboration with researchers, Nova Scotia Health is excited to see the impact this team will have. There is no doubt that their continued focus on building a collaborative environment where ideas are exchanged, and research initiatives are pursued will help to improve healthcare delivery for generations to come.
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Clinical studies help translate research into potentially life-changing therapies that can help you, your friends and your loved ones, but research can’t happen without you. Sign up for Nova Studies Connect today: novastudiesconnect.ca
