Internal Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand Research Network (IMSANZ-RN)

 

MISSION

To promote collaborative research within general medicine that delivers evidenced-based and meaningful outcome improvements for our patients and the health-system.

 

BACKGROUND

Clinical research networks have been proven effective in:

  • defining discipline-specific research priorities
  • promoting and facilitating multicentre collaborations
  • providing research training.

Such networks bring together like-minded clinical researchers to advertise and share project ideas that align with identified research priorities. High quality multicentre collaborative research leads to high-impact publications, funding opportunities and ultimately to the development of clinical practice guidelines and policy changes.

‘Encouraging research’ is a key pillar identified by IMSANZ in its 2019 mission statement. Accordingly, the IMSANZ-RN working group was formed. A scoping survey to describe current research activities by IMSANZ members and determine support for a research network was undertaken and published in the Internal Medicine Journal.

Key findings were:

  • The majority of predominantly senior medical staff were involved in research (50% currently, ~ 20% indicated future involvement, ~20% indicated past involvement)
  • ~ 60% did not receive financial support for their research
  • 39% indicated they were under-resourced
  • Quality improvement and clinical trials were seen as priority research types
  • 72% believed it important to promote research within general medicine and 57% supported formation of the IMSANZ-RN

Several ‘core functions’ of the IMSANZ-RN were supported – these were used to develop our objectives.

 

OBJECTIVES

IMSANZ-RN has identified the following objectives to achieve its mission in supporting all members

  • Facilitate research collaboration among IMSANZ members and with other specialty societies’ research networks
  • Promote research outside metropolitan public hospital setting
  • Share research data, publications and guidelines
  • Advertise and showcase collaborative research projects
  • Promote research culture and provide research training

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Click here for Terms of Reference and the strategic goals of IMSANZ-RN for 2022-2024 period.

 

RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

IMSANZ-RN welcomes submission of research proposals. It promotes studies that meet major research priorities set by the IMSANZ-RN steering committee.

For further information on submission of research proposals, please read the ‘Research proposal submission and support process’ section of the IMSANZ RN Terms of Reference.

To submit your research proposal, please complete the attached form IMSANZ-RN Research proposal submission form and email to IMSANZ office at [email protected].

 

Steps undertaken so far

IMSANZ-RN Infrastructure

  • Website development including planned mechanism to advertise endorsed and supported studies to promote collaboration.
  • Terms of reference for 2022-2024 devised.

Research Agenda

  • Development of a process to endorse high-quality research projects aligned with IMSANZ-RN priorities
  • Plan to host a live Q&A with IMSANZ members to engage interested individuals and receive feedback on RN development to date and future directions

Research Training

  • Inaugural collaboration between IMSANZ and the Quality Improvement Academy at Weill-Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital delivered the first quality improvement and research methodology workshop at Trainees’ Day at IMSANZ Conference Manly on 7th September 2022.
  • An agreement to devote at least one session for research for Trainees’ Day program at every IMSANZ Conference.
  • Ongoing liaison with the General and Acute Care Medicine Advanced Training Committee (G&ACM ATC) at RACP regarding research project requirements and impact on trainees’ involvement in multicentre collaborative studies.

JOINT STATEMENT ON ADVANCED TRAINING RESEARCH PROJECT

The IMSANZ-RN strongly encourages the involvement of more than one advanced trainee in the conduct of multicentre collaborative research projects.  The Advanced Training Committee (ATC) in General and Acute Care Medicine (GACM) accepts multicentre collaborative research projects for submission of Advanced Training Research Project (ATRP).

Each trainee must meet all the requirements as outlined in the RACP Advanced Training Research Project Guidelines, which can be found in the GACM specialty page, under the ATRP section. The supervisors must attest that each trainee has had significant input into the project.

As an example, in a research study involving 5 centres, a ‘significant input’ into the project for individual trainee at each site should include several of the following activities: defining research problems, contribution to the study question, literature review and critical analysis, development of study design, data collection, data synthesis, analysis and interpretation, and writing up a report specific to individual site, as well as contributing to the final manuscript.     

IMSANZ-RN ENDORSED PROJECTS

Bridging the Urban and Regional Divide in Stroke Care (BUILDS): A national tele-stroke unit and inpatient service for remote and rural Australia

Evaluation of General Medicine Perioperative Services in Victoria

Antivirals and steroids for hospitalised patients with influenza – an extension of the Australasian COVID-19 Trial (ASCOT)

A Multicentre Concealed-Allocation Parallel-Group Blinded Randomised Controlled Trial to ascertain the effect of intravenous followed by oral Vitamin C compared to Placebo on mortality at 30 days in hospitalised Community Acquired Pneumonia Patients

AntiThrombotic Therapy to Ameliorate Clinical Complications in Community Acquired Pneumonia (ATTACC-CAP)

 

STEERING COMMITTEE

  • A/Prof Ar Kar Aung, Alfred Health, Victoria, AU (Chair)
  • Dr Elizabeth Potter, Monash Health, Victoria, AU (Vice Chair)
  • A/Prof Robert Pickles, John Hunter Hospital, Hunter New England LHD, New South Wales, AU
  • Dr Anne Knight, Manning Base Hospital, Hunter New England LHD, New South Wales, AU
  • Prof Ian Scott, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Queensland, AU
  • A/Prof Douglas Johnson, Melbourne Health, Victoria, AU
  • A/Prof Sinead Donnelly, Capital and Coast DHB, NZ
  • Dr Andrew Bowers, Lakes DHB, NZ
  • Ms Leigh-anne Shannon, IMSANZ

 

TO KEEP UPDATED ON THE IMSANZ-RN ACTIVITIES, FOLLOW UP COMMUNITY PAGE!

We will be adding features to our page in early 2024, including a member directory specifically for our members interested in research collaboration.

 Click here to find it!