Crit Care Resusc
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Over the past 12 years, the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Clinical Trials Group and the broader intensive care community in Australia and New Zealand have established a track record for conducting high quality, investigator-initiated clinical research in critically ill patients. This is highlighted by the publication of the SAFE (Saline Albumin Fluid Evaluation) study in the New England Journal of Medicine and the MERIT (Medical Early Response Intervention and Therapy) study in the Lancet. Here, we discuss potential impediments to the further advancement of intensive care research in Australia and New Zealand, and suggest strategies to address them. ⋯ We contend that the best chance of improving outcomes in many disease states requires studies to commence before patients enter the ICU, which will depend on collaboration with established and emerging craft groups, such as ambulance services, emergency medicine and anaesthesia. We also emphasise the need to study system factors affecting patient outcomes, as well as the translation of research findings into clinical practice. Finally, we describe the establishment and objectives of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre (ANZIC-RC) and outline the Centre's current projects in the context of an integrated research framework.