Formal academic publishing is essential for evidence-based practice, but it is not always the best format for timely discussion, research translation, public engagement or professional advocacy. Many important issues in paramedicine and regional health sit between research, policy and practice, and deserve to be discussed in ways that are accessible to clinicians, students, service leaders, policymakers and the broader community.
The purpose of this site is to fill this space and communicate research, data and policy issues in a format that is more accessible than formal academic publishing, while still maintaining a clear commitment to accuracy, transparency and professional standards.
About Me
My name is Derek and I am a paramedic and academic based in Perth, Western Australia. I began my career as a volunteer ambulance officer in Ngāruawāhia, a small town in Aotearoa, New Zealand, in 2009, and have held various paid and volunteer roles in emergency services since. My work now sits at the intersection of paramedicine, regional health, emergency service systems and applied health services research.
I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Paramedicine and have a clinical background as a registered paramedic. My teaching focuses on professional decision-making, ethics, professional identity formation, reflective practice, and the development of safe, accountable and evidence-informed paramedic practitioners.
Through The Paramedic Academic, I write about research, policy and practice in a format that is intended to be accessible without losing academic rigour. I am particularly interested in how evidence can inform fairer, more transparent and more effective emergency health systems.
Research Interests
My research interests are many and include all things paramedicine, health systems and equitable healthcare. I have a particular interest in multi/mixed-methods with a focus on using routinely collected data combined with qualitative approaches to achieve practical outcomes.
Areas of research I am either currently or have previously been involved in include:
- Paramedic professional practice
- Professional culture
- Water-related emergencies
- Search and rescue and interagency response
- Regional and rural health equity
- Spatial epidemiology
- Non-clinical complexities in out-of-hospital care
- Aeromedical retrieval
- Evidence translation and public communication
I have a core focus on actionable research and making research findings, public data and policy issues more accessible to clinicians, students, decision-makers and the wider community.
Disclaimer
The Paramedic Academic platform consists of independent professional commentary. Content reflects my own analysis and interpretation unless otherwise stated. Views expressed here are my own and do not represent the views of any employer, university, professional body, government agency or partner organisations.