PICS Study Group

Clinical Studies
Surveys
Meetings

The PICS Study Group is an informal multi-disciplinary association of PCCS members interested in research. Anyone is welcome to contribute or attend meetings.

History

The inaugural meeting of PICS-SG was held in Cambridge in 2005 with Prof. Robert Tasker as the Chair. From that meeting, several research collaborations were formed which resulted in successful large multi-centre randomised controlled trials such as CHiP, CATCH and SLEEPS. Over the past decade, many other national and international clinical trials have been supported by the PICS-Study Group (eg THAPCA-IH, SPROUT, FiSH, ADAPT, SCARF)

Aims

PICS-SG aims to facilitate research into critical illness in children by:

• acting as a forum for PIC staff to present outline plans for research projects/trials for informal peer review and supportive comment
• encouraging and facilitating collaboration between group members with common research interests
• considering the feasibility of proposals for collaborative interventional trials

How Does it Work?

These aims are supported by group meetings but also by a network of research-active or interested intensive care staff maintained by the Study Group chair.

The PICS-SG Chair (currently Barney Scholefield from Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital) is available as a point of contact for researchers seeking collaborations amongst UK and Ireland PCCS members and Units.