Success Stories:  QEMRF Focus on Improved Patient Outcomes

CASE STUDY 1:  Suspected Abuse Injury of Young Children

One of the major strengths of the QEMRF is that Emergency Medicine research has the capacity to generate outcomes in a shorter period of time then other research.  It also means that outcomes can be incorporated into Emergency Department protocols quickly which can have a direct benefit on patient outcomes as well as achieving greater efficiencies in resources for hospitals and ultimately, Queensland Health.

For example, at a grants award ceremony held in December last year, Dr Robyn Brady, one of the co-investigators of the study highlighted below, indicated that the project has had a successful outcome and will be implemented in the next upgrade of the Queensland Health EDIS system across all Emergency Departments in Queensland.  This was a short study involving a small amount of funding from QEMRF but has great capacity to assist Emergency Department staff in identifying at risk children.  This will directly impact on patient care of children in the Emergency Department.

CASE STUDY 2:  Jellyfish Venom

This is a study currently underway in North Queensland involving Cairns Base Hospital and James Cook University however it has the potential to generate significant benefits for the Queensland Government, Queensland Health and patients.  If an improved method can be found for managing jellyfish stings, in particular those with highly venomous stings, then there would likely be a decrease in fatalities and hospitalizations from jellyfish stings achieving a better outcome for patients.  A flow on affect of this research would benefit the multi-million dollar tourism industry through decreasing fatalities from jellyfish stings and calming any fears of visiting tourists.