ROLE OF COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE IN NON-EMERGENCY PRESENTATIONS
Dr Robbie King
Lecturer in paramedicine and researcher, Australian Catholic University (ACU) Brisbane &
Senior Advanced Care Paramedic/Community Paramedic,
Sunshine Coast District, Birtinya Station,
Queensland Ambulance Service, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Brisbane, Queensland | November 2024
Dr Robbie King is a Lecturer in paramedicine and researcher at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) Brisbane. He also continues to provide clinical care as a registered paramedic for community members served by a jurisdictional ambulance service. Dr King has gained significant experience working in an advanced practice, community paramedic style role, holding expert clinical insight into the nuances of paramedic-led community-based healthcare for non-emergency presentations. This often involves adopting a biopsychosocial approach, rather than following the biomedical model more associated with emergency medicine and paramedic culture.
To encourage a patient-centred approach to paramedic-led healthcare by exploring the unmet needs of people requesting unscheduled emergency ambulance care, Dr King advocates for greater consumer engagement in paramedic research. He completed his PhD in early 2024 which explored the patient perspective of paramedic-led healthcare when patients were not transported to hospital. This research generated a theory that describes a process of patients ‘restoring self-efficacy’ when their vulnerabilities are validated, and they receive clinically competent and compassionate care.
Dr King has presented at professional symposium internationally, and in Australia where he continues to encourage greater consumer involvement in research to inform development of paramedic education and ambulance service models of healthcare delivery. Dr King is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Paramedicine and member of various professional research and Community Paramedic working groups. His research focus includes exploring the role of community paramedics in improving health literacy, self-efficacy, and addressing the psychosocial needs of patients requesting emergency ambulance services.
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Investigating invasive lobular carcinoma and metaplastic breast cancer sub-types
Assoc Prof McCart Reed is the scientific lead on an MRFF-funded (Medical Research Future Fund) genomics program investigating the potential for the application of Whole Genome Sequencing in the breast cancer care pathway in Australia, ‘Q-IMPROvE’. She applies genomics and spatial transcriptomics methodologies to archival clinical samples to understand the differences between tumour types and their potential for treatment. Amy is passionate about clinical research, biobanking and precision oncology. In addition to her breast cancer research portfolio, she is on the steering committee for the Brisbane Breast Bank and the Scientific Advisory Board for Breast Cancer Trials.
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Pregnancy in women with chronic kidney disease
Professor Shilpanjali Jesudason is an academic nephrologist and Head of Department at the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Central Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplant Service, South Australia.
From 2017-2020, she was the Clinical Director of Kidney Health Australia, the peak body for patients with kidney disease. In this role she developed a passion for advancing kidney disease education in primary care.
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Earlier identification and early intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing
As Director of NextSense Institute, Professor Leigh is responsible for leading the not-for-profit organisation’s world-class research and education programs and facilities. He has held a variety of positions in the education of children who are deaf or hard of hearing before entering academia. He holds a degree in Special Education from Griffith University, a Master of Science (Speech and Hearing) from Washington University and a PhD in Special Education from Monash University. In 2001, he was made a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators and in 2014, he was invested as an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished services to the deaf and hard of hearing community.
