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Pediatric Applied Research Network (PECARN) Locations Contact Information Request an Apppointment     Email This Page Print This Page           Pediatric Applied Research Network (PECARN) The Pediatric Applied Research Network (PECARN) is an initiative funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration to develop an infrastructure to conduct pediatric research. The Division of Emergency Medicine serves as one of four Regional Node Centers (RNC) to administer the initiative nationwide. Titled the Chesapeake Applied Research Network for Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) (CARN-EMSC), the purpose is to build a regional research network to serve as a platform for collaborative investigations involving the continuum of care within the EMSC system. Participating in a national applied EMSC research network addresses the traditional barriers to such research, including low incidence rates for pediatric emergencies, the need for large and diverse representative study samples, and an infrastructure to evaluate prehospital protocols, and a mechanism to facilitate transfer of research results to treatment settings. Mission Statement The CARN-EMSC is dedicated to improving health care for ill and injured children. CARN-EMSC performs rigorous research to determine optimal strategies to promote health in the preventive, prehospital, hospital, and rehabilitative phases of care. CARN-EMSC collaborates with EMS agencies and community groups to address community needs and collaborates with national researchers to build rigorous and widely applicable evaluation. Goals and Objectives To help overcome barriers and conduct meaningful research, Children’s (serving as the RNC) and the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center [JHCC, serving as the primary Hospital Emergency Department Affiliate (HEDA)] contribute existing capabilities to achieve the following: Goal 1: Engage a regional network of hospitals, emergency personnel and community and professional advisors in the prioritization of and strategic planning for a consensus-derived clinical research agenda that both ensures alignment with community needs and provides a forum for collaborative and bi-directional exchange of information and ideas. Establish and maintain a Community Advisory Board Establish and maintain a Professional Advisory Board Disseminate knowledge and study results Goal 2: Develop a regional infrastructure capable of rigorous clinical research in both prehospital and hospital settings. Establish a RNC at Children’s Establish a primary HEDA at JHCC Engage at least two other HEDAs in year one and three others in year two Engage EMS leaders and providers in our jurisdictions Engage pediatric critical care and trauma specialists Goal 3: Collaborate in a national network of centers to prioritize, plan and conduct clinical research through carefully designed and relevant pilot studies. Contribute collaboratively to the PECARN national network Contribute substantively to the PECARN Steering Committee Methods Goal 1 strategies: Engage the community. Community Advisory Board: recruit parents, prehospital providers and community advocates to provide meaningful input regarding community needs and allow feedback to the community regarding the results of evolving best practices Professional Advisory Board: recruit regional experts in clinical research to provide insight into priorities for research and assistance in program evaluation Dissemination of Knowledge: build upon extensive regional educational activities in EMSC to coordinate the dissemination of knowledge regarding rapidly-evolving best practices for optimizing the care of ill and injured children Goal 2 strategies: Develop regional infrastructure. Establish a RNC at Children’s: provide a collaborative infrastructure capable of supporting rigorous, high-quality research, including senior leadership, biostatistics and bioinformatics Establish a primary HEDA at the JHCC: contribute substantively to the inpatient and critical-care components of the continuum of care as the region’s only other designated pediatric trauma center, provide complementary research capabilities, and collaborate by serving other HEDA functions Engage other HEDAs: recruit institutions with diverse patient populations, each serving greater than 10,000 children per year, and each capable of recruiting patients for enrollment in clinical trials Engage EMS: through leadership positions in the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) and DC Fire, actively involve EMS leaders and providers in these jurisdictions Engage pediatric critical care and trauma specialists: focus on specialists at the RNC and primary HEDA because together they provide care to 100 percent of pediatric trauma patients and greater than 85 percent of critical care patients in the region Goal 3 strategies: Collaborate with the national network. Contribute collaboratively to the PECARN national network: work with other investigators to achieve consensus and take part in scheduled meetings Contribute substantively to the PECARN Steering Committee: propose significant, innovative, and feasible suggestions for a national research agenda Coordination/Collaboration This highly integrated and collaborative effort focuses on a fluid flow of ideas and knowledge between the RNC, HEDAs, MIEMSS, DC Fire and EMS, and state and District departments of health.