What every emergency physician should know about research: Introduction to a research primer for low- and middle-income countries

Vicken Totten; Erin Simon; Willem Stassen

doi:10.1016/j.afjem.2020.10.009

What every emergency physician should know about research: Introduction to a research primer for low- and middle-income countries

Afr J Emerg Med. 2020;10(Suppl 2):S95-S99. doi: 10.1016/j.afjem.2020.10.009. Epub 2020 Nov 25.

Authors

Vicken Totten¹, Erin Simon^{2

3

4}, Willem Stassen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Kaweah Delta Health Care District (KDHCD), KDHCD Department of Emergency Medicine, 400 W Mineral King Ave, Visalia, CA 93291, USA.
² Department of Emergency Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Akron, OH, USA.
³ Northeast Ohio Medical University, Akron, OH, USA.
⁴ Cleveland Clinic Bath, Akron, OH, USA.
⁵ University of Cape Town, Cape Town, UCT, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Cape Town, Division of Emergency Medicine, USA.

Abstract

Research is the search for new, generalisable knowledge (Truth in the Universe) to improve our collective ability to correctly diagnose and treat human suffering. In the formal sense, medical research implies both creating new knowledge, and also disseminating that new knowledge as well as putting it into practice. This is the first paper in this Research Primer. It briefly covers why each emergency physician should know and care about research. The paper reminds us that it does not take a physician to do research, but that it is the practicing physician who best knows what new knowledge is needed at the bedside. It introduces the scope of the other papers included in this special issue. The paper reviews the definitions of research and the scope of research practice in emergency medicine; overviews the hows and whys of research, as well as discusses the research question, study justification, literature search and touching on research design.

Keywords: Emergency medicine research; Introduction; Low budget; Overview.

Publication types

Editorial