The Department’s research interests are as diverse as our specialty. In an effort to promote collaboration among our faculty and our colleagues at the University of Texas, and to focus on the clinical strengths of our two emergency departments; the Harris County hospital, LBJ Hospital, and our level one trauma center, the Memorial Hermann Hospital, the Department’s clinical researchers established a Departmental Research Focus. The purpose of this focus is to provide a singular mission for the development and execution of research within the Department. Resources and personnel may then be more effectively positioned for the benefit of the residents, faculty and students engaged in research. In 2005, the Department lists the following clinical research opportunities as our primary research foci.

• Research involving the acute care of the injured heart, brain, and vascular systems.  We are presently engaged in research in AMI (both in the pre-hospital and acute presentation phase), stroke (our faculty are Co-investigators in one of the largest federally funded acute stroke center’s grant), and diagnostics (we have established an ultrasound training program and are developing a research base in diagnostic ultrasound).
  
• Research involving the medical or traumatic presentation of shock. In conjunction with the Departments of Medicine and Surgery, a second core research goal is to establish our Department as a leader in acute shock management. With the opening of our new medical simulation lab in 2006, we will expand these research opportunities to include efforts directed towards simulation research of the shock patient – including medical, traumatic, and bioterrorism simulation training.
  
• Research involving the ‘altered patient’.  Alcohol and substance abuse has been shown to be a major contributing factor in many of our acute disease presentations.  The Department’s clinical researchers are actively involved in research to identify the role of substance abuse in acute trauma, medical, and psychiatric illness.  The department has both funded investigators and national speakers in this core area. 
  
• Research involving the process of Emergency Center Management.  This core focus involves research directed towards process flow within the Emergency Department and the delivery of efficient, safe, medically sound care.  Prior research efforts included publications in areas of Observation Medicine, Medical Error Reduction, Process flow, Patient Satisfaction, and Compliance studies.  Both hospitals’ Medical Directors and several faculty actively participate in this core research focus.  

Clinical research remains a primary objective of the Department. We believe that active participation in research is an essential building block in the developing resident –physician education.  Our residents are expected to participate in ongoing collaborative and departmental projects. Each resident will complete a scholarly project of publishable quality during the course of residency with approval of the Residency Director as per RRC guidelines.  Research is critical to our clinical teaching of evidence based medicine and our EM curriculum. We maintain the highest standards of research ethics, and all faculty are required to complete coursework in human subjects training. The Department employs a full time research staff including a research nurse, grants, regulatory, and compliance personnel, and secretarial assistance. Should you have further questions about research within the Department, please contact my office. 

Sincerely,

David Robinson, MD MS FACEP

Associate Professor, Vice Chairman & Research Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
Phone: (713) 500-7875
Email: david.j.robinson@uth.tmc.edu