Department of Paramedicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Health Res Policy Syst. 2024 Aug 9;22(1):100. doi: 10.1186/s12961-024-01188-6.
Paramedicine is a dynamic profession which has evolved from a "treat and transport" service into a complex network of health professionals working in a diverse range of clinical roles. Research is challenging in the paramedicine context, and internationally, research capacity and culture has developed slowly. International examples of research agendas and strategies in paramedicine exist, however, research priorities have not previously been identified in Ireland.
This study was a three round electronic modified Delphi design which aimed to establish the key aspects of the research priorities via end-user consensus. Participants included interested stakeholders involved in prehospital care or research in Ireland. The first round questionnaire consisted of open-ended questions with results coded and developed into themes for the closed-ended questions used in the second and third round questionnaires. A consensus level of 70% was set a priori for second and third rounds.
Research Priorities that reached consensus included Staff Wellbeing, Education and Professionalism and Acute Medical Conditions. Respondents indicated that these three areas should be a priority in the next 2 years. Education, Staffing and Leadership were imperative Key Resources that required change. Education was a Key Processes change deemed imperative to allow the future research to occur. Outcomes that should be included in the future research strategy were Patient Outcomes, Practitioner Development, Practitioner Wellbeing, Alternate Pathways, Evidence-based Practice and Staff Satisfaction.
The results of this study are similar to previously published international studies, with some key differences. There was a greater emphasis on Education and Practitioner Wellbeing with the latter possibly attributed to the timing of the research in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The disseminated findings of this study should inform sustainable funding models to aid the development of paramedicine research in Ireland.
急救医学是一个充满活力的专业，它已经从“治疗和转运”服务演变成一个由各种临床角色的医疗保健专业人员组成的复杂网络。在急救医学领域开展研究具有挑战性，而且国际上，研究能力和文化发展缓慢。虽然国际上已经存在急救医学研究议程和策略的范例，但爱尔兰以前并未确定研究重点。
本研究采用三轮电子修正德尔菲设计，旨在通过最终用户的共识确定研究重点的关键方面。参与者包括在爱尔兰从事院前护理或研究的利益相关者。第一轮问卷包含开放式问题，结果被编码并发展为第二轮和第三轮问卷的封闭式问题的主题。第二轮和第三轮设定了 70%的共识水平。
达成共识的研究重点包括员工福利、教育和专业精神以及急性医疗状况。受访者表示，这三个领域应该是未来 2 年的优先事项。教育、人员配备和领导力是必须改变的关键资源。教育是允许未来研究发生的必要关键流程变革。未来研究策略中应包括的结果是患者结果、从业者发展、从业者福利、替代途径、循证实践和员工满意度。
这项研究的结果与之前发表的国际研究相似，但也存在一些关键差异。研究更加重视教育和从业者福利，后者可能归因于研究的时间与 COVID-19 大流行有关。本研究的研究结果应告知可持续的资助模式，以帮助爱尔兰的急救医学研究发展。
