Critical care medicine provides the opportunity to improve outcomes and save lives in the critically ill. However, it is an expensive resource and it is important that we determine the most effective use of current and new-treatments in our patients.
Several countries have successfully demonstrated improved outcomes and financial savings within intensive care by coordinating investigator-initiated clinical studies. For example, the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care- Clinical Trials Group’s research has been estimated to save the Australian tax payer approx. €600,000,000.00 per year. The Irish Critical Care-Clinical Trials Group (ICCTG) was established in 2005. Despite any infrastructure funding for the network to date, we have already conducted observational studies and interventional studies. The applicant group represents the academic leadership of Critical Care Medicine in Ireland.
It is vital at this stage to develop a trials methods centre to support the activities of the group and co-ordinate the network but also to guide future strategy, improve methodology, increase understanding in the community, build strategic collaborations and develop a sustainability program for the group (both financial and intellectual). We aim to fully utilise the resources of the established Clinical Research Centre’s to facilitate our network activities
We plan to utilize this methods centre to facilitate the conduct a number of thematic programs of pilot and definitive interventional studies in the critically ill; mechanical ventilation, blood transfusion, acute kidney injury, severe sepsis. These pilot / feasibility studies that will inform the organisation and planning of future interventional studies that the group will conduct
We aim to expand the program of educational, mentorship and training programs to ensure the studies being conducted are of the highest quality and to encourage and retain a new generation of Irish clinical trialists, so as to sustain the network in the future.
