Two of our researchers recently had their work published in the prestigious Canadian Medical Association Journal. The article examined the impact of research activity in community health settings.
Dr. Jennifer Tsang, Research Lead, Intensivist and Co-Director, Critical Care Research at Niagara Health, and Paige Gehrke, a Registered Nurse in our Intensive Care Unit at St. Catharines, were part of a team of clinicians who examined the benefits of research in community hospitals, along with opportunities and challenges.
Here are some key points from the article:
- Most clinical health research in Canada occurs in academic centres, yet 49 to 100 per cent of hospital beds across Canada are in community hospitals.
- Increased involvement by community hospitals in research could offer more capacity for national research and improve patient care.
- Community hospital-led research could increase staff engagement, opportunities for continuing education and clinician career satisfaction.
Also noted in the article is Niagara Health's Pain, Agitation and Delirium research program, along with our participation in multicentre clinical trials under the guidance of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. (Source: Fostering community hospital research, 2019).
You can read the full article here.
Here are some more examples of the research our team conducts:
- Reducing the use of opioid prescriptions in Emergency Departments and surgical units.
- Helping to reduce the chances of additional heart attacks and strokes, along with heart failure, in patients with stents.
- Increasing the quality of oncology care by participating in several multicentre clinical trials and partnering with academic institutions such as McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and Brock University.
