Research in Emergency at Canberra Hospitals (REACH)

REACH is improving emergency care through donor-funded research.

Better decisions. Better care.

Every patient who comes through the Emergency Department deserves the best possible care - delivered quickly, safely and with confidence.

Thanks to research funded by Canberra Hospitals Foundation (CHF), Research in Emergency at Canberra Hospitals (REACH) is improving how critical decisions are made at the front door of the hospital.

What is REACH?

REACH is the research arm of the Emergency Departments at Canberra Hospital and North Canberra Hospital.

It focuses on one powerful idea:

Better decisions lead to better care.

Out of the blue, every day, patients arrive at Canberra Hospitals needing urgent answers.

There’s no warning. No certainty. No time.

From diagnosis to treatment, the decisions made in the first minutes of care shape everything that follows.

REACH ensures those decisions are guided by evidence - not habit.

Why ED Research Matters

The Emergency Department is where:

Every hospital admission begins

Critical decisions happen fast

Outcomes are shaped early

Small improvements here create system-wide impact, and make the entire hospital journey better for you and your loved one.

Why Your Support Matters

Every donation helps improve care for patients and families when they need it most.

Your support helps fund:

Dedicated research staff

Data and analysis capability

Capacity to scale impactful projects

Your donation makes this possible.

Research in Action

REACH is already delivering real improvements:

Recognising serious injury earlier

After slipping in her driveway while getting out of the car, Helen, 78, walked into the Emergency Department complaining of “just a sore chest.”

But in older patients, seemingly minor injuries can mask life-threatening trauma.

REACH researchers are studying how trauma presents differently in elderly patients - helping clinicians identify high-risk injuries earlier and deliver the right treatment before complications develop.

Earlier recognition can mean fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and better chances of recovery.

Reducing stress for sick children - and their parents

Three-year-old Noah arrived in the Emergency Department after 2 days of vomiting and refusing food.

A routine finger prick blood test showed a significantly low blood sugar - a condition emergency clinicians are trained to manage- but it also triggered concerns about rare metabolic disorders and the possibility of extensive testing.

For Noah’s parents, there was fear and anxiety about specialised tests which would take weeks to return results.

REACH research is helping clinicians better understand which children genuinely need further investigation - reducing unnecessary testing, lowering stress for families, and ensuring children receive the right care without avoidable procedures.

Because every child deserves care that is both safe and thoughtful.

This is research that improves care now - not years from now.