Point Prevalence Program
The Point Prevalence Program (PPP) is a collaborative project between Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group (ANZICS CTG) and the Critical Care Division of The George Institute.
Aim
As a coordinated and validated project , the Point Prevalence Program provides infrastructure to conduct several multi-centre observational studies simultaneously on specified study days each year. The impetus for the PPP is to improve the efficiency of the collection of observational data that helps design clinical trial protocols for future ANZICS CTG studies. A further use of the PPP is that it can help with generating data to understand how research findings are translated into clinical practice.
Significance
The program facilitates collaborations amongst members of the CTG with an average of 44 ICUs participating each study day from a range of tertiary, metropolitan, regional-rural and private hospitals with an average recruitment per study day of more than 550 participants.
Between 2009 and 2016 we conducted 10 study days, enrolling a total of 5714 adult participants from 99 of 197 (50%) adult ICU’s across Australia and New Zealand. This has resulted in data for 38 studies, leading to 23 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and 18 funding applications. Program data has contributed to 14 separate programs of research within the ANZICS CTG, including; fluid resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, temperature management, sepsis, nutrition and mobility practices.
By incorporating individual point prevalence studies into a structured program, there are significant efficiencies of scale allowing researchers to collect prevalence data for future project feasibility, design and for audit and quality improvement purposes. The program also provides a unique opportunity for researchers to efficiently evaluate the effects of evidence from randomised controlled trials on clinical practice over several years and time points with minimal additional administrative burden to investigators and sites
Funding
The program has been funded by the George Institute for Global Health, the ANZICS CTG and the Intensive Care Foundation and currently new funding sources are being explored.
Your research idea: Can we help you?
If you are developing a research question and program, then the PPP may be able to help you. A scientific manuscript describing the PPP is now available and we would encourage prospective users of the PPP to read this short article and/or refer to some of our previous publications as referenced in the article.
Please email us if you would like to discuss an idea for our next study day.
