Researchers from the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM) are coming together to launch a new research theme called REACH: Research into the Enhancement of Acute Care for Children’s Health. Funded by Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, through REACH, a team of researchers, healthcare professionals, and families will take a coordinated approach to improve the treatments and care for the acute care experiences of children, youth, and their families across Manitoba.
Acute care is the necessary, short-term treatment for a disease or severe episode of illness and is commonly associated with hospital care. However, acute care is also provided in other settings, such as a GP/pediatrician office or walk-in clinic, for common childhood conditions (e.g., fever, infections).
Worried families also make decisions about their acutely ill child before they enter a healthcare setting, such as whether to treat them at home or determine when to seek medical care.
When one acute care setting is under strain, there is a ripple effect through the system.
"All children deserve the best care possible, regardless of where children become ill or injured and seek treatment” said Stefano Grande, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation. “CHRIM’s research teams focus on issues that kids face right here and work closely with the healthcare teams across the province to bring that research into action. REACH is the latest example of how our communities’ generosity benefits kids and families now and into the future.”
REACH will be led by CHRIM research scientists Dr. Lisa Knisley, assistant professor in the University of Manitoba’s College of Nursing, and Dr. Alex Aregbesola, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba.
“There’s a real opportunity in our province to have a more coordinated approach to how we research acute care,” says Dr. Lisa Knisley, REACH Co-lead. “Ultimately, we want to improve the health outcomes and the overall healthcare experiences for children, youth and families needing this care across our province.”
Over 25 doctors, nurses, parents, researchers, administrators, and support staff across Manitoba have come together to build inclusive, strong, and sustainable infrastructure that will scale existing research, and support a stronger base of researchers and research teams that can continue to innovate and improve acute care experiences and outcomes for children, youth, and their families in Manitoba and beyond.
REACH will bring together existing networks and projects, such as Manitoba Emergency Care Research for Kids, TREKK (Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids), innovations in pediatric clinical trials, and readiness assessments for pediatric emergency facilities/services, to have a more coordinated approach to research in our province.
Important research has already started within REACH, with a project led by Dr. Aregbesola where he and the research team conducted a survey to understand the pediatric readiness of general emergency departments across Manitoba to care for acutely ill and injured children. The study was published in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine last fall.
“CHRIM is well known for bringing clinicians, researchers, and families together, in order to investigate and tackle the complex health issues families are faced with to positively impact treatments and outcomes,” says Nichola Wigle, Acting CEO at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. “For this reason, we are investing in this new theme, REACH, that will help identify areas where healthcare professionals can be better supported in providing acute care while also improving outcomes and experiences for the families in Manitoba and beyond."
Learn more about REACH in this new video!
Source: CHRIM