Tuesday 13 August 2024
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has today (Tuesday 13 August 2024) launched an online learning programme to support emergency medicine professionals who are new to the field of research into early academic careers.
The development of the eLearning package called “Training for Research in Emergency Care (TREC)” was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and co-developed with the College of Paramedics.
The package consists of six modules designed to guide complete novices through the fundamentals of medical research, with a particular focus on emergency care. The goal is to equip learners with the necessary skills to embark on early academic careers, providing them with both the theoretical knowledge and practical insights needed to excel in this vital area.
The first two modules, which have been launched today include:
This module serves as the foundation, introducing learners to the basic principles of research, including its significance and foundational concepts.
Building on the first module, this session dives deeper into Good Clinical Practice (GCP), exploring essential research ethics and regulations.
The remaining modules will cover:
Module three focuses on the importance of involving patients in research processes, enhancing the relevance and impact of studies.
The fourth module covers strategies and essential steps for launching successful research projects in emergency settings.
This module emphasises the development of leadership skills necessary for leading research teams and projects.
The final module explores how to effectively apply research findings to improve emergency care practices.
Professor Matthew Reed, RCEM Research Lead said: “We are delighted to unveil the release of this training, generously supported by NIHR funding.
“These modules are designed to take complete novices with no research experience and build them up towards being at the level to pursue early academic careers. There will be six modules with a seventh update module expounding novel research concepts and the latest evidence. The material is aimed at undertaking research in emergency care environments and the examples used are centred on emergency care studies giving the learner new research skills and an understanding of important research in this area.”
Dr Mark Winstanley, RCEM Learning said: “We recognised that Emergency Care was an area which was under-represented within the research community and that there are limited targeted training programmes to enable that engagement.
“We came up with a programme to take a complete novice up to the point where they can take part in, develop, lead and promote research within their clinical practice. All the training used is grounded in Emergency Care research examples, so it serves as a clinical update as well as research skill development.
“We are hoping this accessible, forward thinking spiral curriculum of six modules will give an opportunity for everyone in Emergency Care to become confident and enthused about getting involved in and leading research, and in turn push forward clinical practice.”
Professor Julia Williams, Head of Research at the College of Paramedics, said: “The launch of this unique training programme marks a significant milestone in the field of emergency care research. Our aim is to empower paramedics and emergency care professionals with the skills and knowledge they need to actively engage in research, ultimately enhancing patient care and outcomes.
“We are proud to be part of this initiative, which not only addresses the gap in research training for emergency care but also fosters a culture of inquiry and innovation within emergency care professions. By grounding the training in real-world emergency care examples, we aim to make research both relevant and accessible, encouraging a new generation of emergency care researchers.”
The training can be accessed on RCEM’s eLearning platform.
Alternatively it can be accessed on the NIHR’s Learn platform by creating an account.
