The research paramedic: a new role

Medical research has a long and sometimes colourful history. Clinical research continues to drive development today and the money involved in research is substantial as is the emphasis placed upon research by the NHS (Department of Health, 2013). Within the wider field of medical research pre-hospital research is a relatively new field. Research has traditionally been carried out in more controlled and measurable settings than the chaotic and unpredictable environment that is our norm. Paramedic practice has historically been guided by expert opinion and best practice developed and tested in other settings, which has left areas of pre-hospital practice lacking a robust evidence base (MacFarlane, 2003; Schmidt et al, 2009; Hargreaves et al, 2013). Callaham (1997) described the ‘scanty science’ underpinning emergency care when he looked at the number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in pre-hospital care. Pre-hospital research has not been conducted due to a number of factors, including: