The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, in partnership with the James Lind Alliance (JLA), will be conducting a research Priority Setting Partnership over the next 24 months (June 2015-17).

We are identifying unanswered research questions within emergency medicine (EM), and ranking them in order of priority.  The final output from the PSP will be a ‘top ten’ of EM research priorities.

Jason Smith as College Professor, will lead the process, but wider engagement is being sought from clinicians of all levels (including doctors and nurses), patients and carers. Richard Morley, a James Lind Alliance Adviser, will act as the independent chair of the Steering Group, and in this capacity will guide the process and ensure fairness and transparency.  Sam McIntyre, RCEM’s Quality Manager, will be running the project day-to-day.

How to get involved

1. Submit your suggested research question or topic now!  We want to hear from everyone and gather as many ideas as possible.  Submit your suggestion 30 Sept 2015 – 31 Jan 2016.
2. Download the JLA EM PSP survey pdf to display or give out in your ED for patients who may not access the internet easily
3. Download the flyer to display in your ED
4. Tweet us @JLAEMPSP
5. We are looking for volunteers to act as Local Champions across all relevant stakeholder groups: clinicians of all levels (including doctors and nurses), patients and carers. If you’re interested in becoming a Local Champion for this project, please contact Jason Smith.
6. Read St Emlyn’s blog about the project

Local Champion applicants – it would be helpful if you could explain in a short statement why you think you would be suitable.  Please pass this on to anyone who you think might be interested in contributing.

Enquiries would be particularly welcome from:

• Allied health professionals who work in emergency departments
• Clinicians of all levels
• Data analysts
• Devolved nation representatives
• Experience of patient involvement in research
• Nurses who work in emergency departments
• Patients and lay representatives
• Systematic reviewers

We have now closed recruitment to the Steering Group.  The JLA steering group terms of reference include oversight of the process and ensuring engagement across all relevant stakeholder groups, including clinicians of all levels (including doctors and nurses), patients and carers.

Background

The JLA is an organisation supported by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre in Southampton, and they bring together clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders in partnership to set research priorities. They aim to identify unanswered questions within a specialty, and rank them in order of priority, with the final output from the PSP being a ‘top ten’ of research priorities for that given area.

The advantage of the JLA is that they provide a framework, with a reproducible process, and advisers who guide the process along the way. They are recognised by large grant-awarding bodies as the gold standard in research prioritisation. If you are applying for a research grant, and can map your application to one of the research priorities, then this adds considerable weight to the application.

In 2013 a paediatric emergency medicine PSP was undertaken.

Meet the Steering Group

• Richard Morley – Chair
• Jason Smith – Clinical Lead
• Sam McIntyre – Project Officer
• Justine Amero
• Simon Carley
• Douglas Findlay
• Lynsey Flowerdew
• Melanie Gager
• Liza Keating
• Ben McCullough
• Hazel McCullough
• Rachel O’Brien
• Miranda Odam
• Ian Roberts
• Katharine Wylie