An environmental scan of emergency medicine research support, training, and infrastructure across Canada
- 1 July 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in CJEM
- Vol. 22 (4), 477-485
- https://doi.org/10.1017/cem.2020.18
Abstract
Objective: Our study objective was to describe the Canadian emergency medicine (EM) research community landscape prior to the initiation of a nationwide network. Methods: A two-phase electronic survey was sent to 17 Canadian medical schools. The Phase 1 Environmental Scan was administered to department chairs/hospital EM chiefs, to identify EM physicians conducting clinical or educational research. The Phase 2 Survey was sent to the identified EM researchers to assess four themes: 1) geographic distribution, 2) training/career satisfaction, 3) time/financial compensation, and 4) research facilitators/barriers. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and results were stratified by Canadian regions. Results: A total of 92 EM researchers were identified in Phase 1; 67 (73%) responded to the Phase 2 Survey. Of those, 42 (63%) reported being clinical researchers, and 19 (45%) had a graduate degree. Three provinces encompassed most of the researchers (n = 35). Of the respondents, 61% had a research degree, 66% felt adequately trained for their research career, 73% had financial support, 83% had access to office spaces, 52% had no mentor during their first years of their career, 69% felt satisfied with their research career, and 82% suggested that they will still be conducting research in 5 years. Conclusion: EM researchers reported being adequately trained, even though only a little over half had a graduate degree. Only two-thirds had financial support, and mentorship was lacking in one-third of the participants. Not all respondents had a form of infrastructure, but most felt optimistic about their careers. The Canadian EM research environment could be improved to ensure better research capacity.This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit:
- Pediatric Emergency Research CanadaPediatric Emergency Care, 2018
- Network‐based assessment of collaborative research in neuroscienceAlzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, 2018
- An Environmental Scan of Academic Emergency Medicine at the 17 Canadian Medical Schools: Why Does this Matter to Emergency Physicians?CJEM, 2016
- CAEP 2014 Academic Symposium: “How to make research succeed in your department: Promoting excellence in Canadian emergency medicine resident research”CJEM, 2015
- CAEP 2014 Academic symposium: “How to make research succeed in your department: How to fund your research program”CJEM, 2015
- Executive summary of the CAEP 2014 Academic Symposium: How to make research succeed in your departmentCJEM, 2015
- CAEP 2014 Academic Symposium: “How to make research succeed in your emergency department: How to develop and train career researchers in emergency medicine”CJEM, 2015
- Successful Scientist: What's the Winning Formula?Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal, 2014
- The Collaboration Readiness of Transdisciplinary Research Teams and Centers: Findings from the National Cancer Institute's TREC Year-One Evaluation StudyAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2008
- How to succeed in science: a concise guide for young biomedical scientists. Part I: taking the plungeNature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 2008