Synopsis

Pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) is a newer subspecialty in child health starting in Canada in the 1980’s. To build the evidence base for clinical care, single center randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with small sample sizes were conducted. However, this led to potential of poorly designed and conducted trials with inadequate statistical power, which often were not published (if they gave negative answers). Systematic reviews of RCTs started to improve the situation, along with the establishment of research networks performing large RCTs provided more definitive guidance for the clinician. Dr. Terry Klassen will trace this evolution using real examples of research in croup and bronchiolitis, and make the case for a knowledge ecosystem that has living systematic reviews as a cornerstone.

Speaker

Dr Terry Klassen is a clinician-scientist in Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM). He is the Head of the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba (U of M); Medical Director, Child Health Program, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and CEO & Scientific Director for the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. His research interest focus randomized control trials and systematic reviews of interventions in PEM. He leads a national knowledge mobilization initiative to ensure this knowledge improves the outcomes of children in general emergency departments.