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Pandemic Resilience- translating knowledge for improved future pandemic preparedness

Since 2015, the HRB-Irish Critical Care-Clinical Trials Network has established a research program in preparation for pandemics. As part of this, we assessed the barriers and developed solutions to conducting research during a future global pandemic. This work led to a coordinated Irish and global response to COVID-19 with a programme including a clinical trial (REMAP-CAP), observational data, biological samples, public/clinician perceptions research and public patient involvement (PPI). This was successful with 11 COVID-19 treatment recommendations (NEJMx3, JAMAx3), identification of genetic factors for COVID-19 critical illness (first time-Naturex2), global data and public/patient insights (focus groups, surveys etc). It is now essential to understand what worked well (and what didn’t), and use this period at the pandemic end to consolidate knowledge gained and disseminate these findings, so that Irish (and global) society can prepare for the next pandemic (or COVID variant emergence). To this end, we propose Pandemic Resilience, a phased portfolio of multifaceted knowledge translation activities for all audiences to consolidate and translate these learnings for future pandemic preparedness.
We will produce and widely disseminate lessons learned and barriers to pandemic research documents providing key insights for future planning. This will prime the pump for pandemic preparedness in Ireland and align/inform with a CTN Pandemic resilience program of new research activities. This KT will involve national and global Pandemic resilience meetings, document/policy briefs, global KT consortium establishment and PPIE program. Plans will be disseminated to all interested stakeholders- PPI, policymakers/Government, clinicians, healthcare, funders. We will supplement this with a multimedia platform of podcasts, website, social media and media releases. A major activity will be our REMAP-CAP Public Patient Involvement Engagement led by PI-Nichol and ICC-CTN including the first global meeting, regular quarterly meetings and public-facing documents. Pandemic-Resilience will lay the foundation for future preparedness and widely translate knowledge gained.