Dr Charlotte Sloane, Paediatric Research Fellow
PERUKI (Paediatric Emergency Research in the UK and Ireland) was established in 2012 by everyday clinicians who set out to enhance the quality of emergency care for children and young people through robust, collaborative multicentre research.
In 2015, to coordinate their research efforts and resources, PERUKI published an initial list of research priorities. Questions were gathered from PERUKI members, healthcare professionals with an interest in Paediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) research, across the UK and Ireland via an online survey.
Respondents were asked to answer the question: “Thinking about your clinical practice in the field of paediatric emergency medicine, what are the most important research questions which need addressing?”. Each respondent could provide up to 12 questions. The PERUKI executive committee reviewed all questions, merging and refining similar questions and excluding questions already answered within the scientific literature.
The Top 20 questions generated from this prioritisation exercise were published and drove the PERUKI research agenda for the last decade. Many of the questions have been successfully addressed through large multi-centre studies (e.g. PiC – Petechiae in children, FiSh – Fluids in Shock). In doing so, PERUKI has been involved in attracting more than £15 million in successful grant applications.
The evolving landscape of healthcare, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing pressures on the National Health Service (NHS), has introduced new dynamics and challenges that warrant a refresh of research priorities for PEM.
To do this, PERUKI have partnered with the James Lind Alliance’s Priority Setting Partnership to ensure direct representation for all key stakeholders. The objective of this partnership is to work with patients, carers, and healthcare professionals to identify uncertainties in PEM. Doing so will focus research which will improve the quality of emergency care. This includes improvement in outcomes, equitable and efficient care, improvements in experience, quality of communication, continuity, and consistency of care. This work has been funded by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.
Don’t miss your chance to take part in the Paediatric Emergency Medicine Priority Setting Partnership Survey! Share the questions you believe warrant further research and exploration in this area. The survey remains open until the end of March 2024.
What do you think are the most important research questions in PEM? Tell us here: https://redcap.link/PEMPSP
Get Involved
Join us as we delve into the queries submitted by the public and healthcare professionals across the UK and Ireland, conducting evidence reviews to find the answers that will help shape the future of paediatric care.
We will be using Best Evidence Topics (BETs) to structure our evidence reviews. BETs are specifically designed to address clinical uncertainties in Emergency Medicine, where available evidence may be scarce.
What You’ll Do:
- · Conduct structured evidence reviews to address clinical uncertainties in Paediatric Emergency Medicine.
- · Collaborate with fellow clinicians and researchers to enhance quality of reviews and reduce potential bias.
- · Evaluate relevant outcomes to inform evidence-based decision-making.
What’s in it for You:
- · Professional Development – Enhance your critical appraisal skills, literature review proficiency, and evidence synthesis abilities.
- · Publication Opportunities – Best BETs are reviewed by editors and can be published online and can be put forward for publication in journals like Emergency Medicine Journal, Archives of Diseases in Childhood, and more.
- · Personalised Certificate – Receive a personalised certificate recognising your contribution to the Paediatric Emergency Medicine Priority Setting Partnership (PEM PSP) evidence reviews.
- Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to make a meaningful difference in paediatric emergency care while enhancing your professional portfolio.
Interested in joining our evidence review team? Reach out to us today to learn more and get involved!
Contact Information
Dr Charlotte Sloane, Paediatric Research Fellow, Queens University Belfast – csloane04@qub.ac.uk
PERUKI (Paediatric Emergency Research UK and Ireland) network website
