CCIRNet launches a new online resource for community hospital ICU researchers
Today, a team of community hospital researchers from across Canada announced the Community ICU Research Toolkit: A Guide to Building a Community Hospital Clinical Research Program (the “CCIRNet Toolkit”).
Developed by the Canadian Community ICU Research Network (CCIRNet) and the Community Acute and Critical Care working group of the COVID-19 Network of Clinical Trials Networks, the new online toolkit draws on the contributors’ diverse experiences, offering a collection of practical approaches for solving frequently encountered challenges when building and maintaining a research program at a community hospital.
“Community hospital researchers face many challenges. These include a lack of funding, a lack of experienced research staff, and an institutional culture that may not support research,” said Dr. Alexandra Binnie, CCIRNet co-chair and physician lead for ICU research at William Osler Health System. “The toolkit is designed to support community hospital researchers by offering practical solutions to many of these challenges.”
The toolkit contributors are research leaders in Canadian community hospitals who have built successful research programs in their institutions. “It is very pragmatic with a focus on workable solutions and links to relevant resources. We hope it will be a helpful resource for interested researchers across Canada and will also encourage more community hospital professionals in building research programs,” added Dr. Jennifer Tsang, CCIRNet co-chair and co-director of critical care research at Niagara Health. “We know that hospitals that participate in research have better patient outcomes and higher staff satisfaction. Moreover, community hospital research programs allow patients to access cutting-edge treatments in their own communities. So clinical research brings benefits for patients and hospitals alike.”
The researchers launched the toolkit today at the first CCIRNet Symposium, which brought together 46 research professionals from 23 community hospitals around the country. Held in conjunction with the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG) Fall 2023 Scientific Meeting, the Symposium is a new venue for Canada’s growing network of community hospital researchers to strengthen their connections and improve knowledge sharing and support.
The CCIRNet Toolkit is an open-access resource. You can find it at www.ccctg.ca/ccirnet-toolkit.
This work is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
About CCIRNet
The Canadian Community ICU Research Network (CCIRNet) is an association of Canadian community ICU professionals engaged in clinical research. Its goal is to foster a culture of ICU research in the community ICU setting across Canada with a view to accelerating clinical trials and improving the generalizability of study results.
CCIRNet aims to break down the barriers that have traditionally existed between academic and community hospitals, at the level of research, in the hopes that this will lead to better care for our patients. By sharing the communal knowledge and experience of its members, CCIRNet is supporting community ICUs to achieve their research goals.