Clinical Research

Research is central to the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration in Emergency Medicine (TAAAC-EM), to drive improvements in clinical care through context-responsive evidence generation. Over more than a decade of collaboration, faculty and trainees from Ethiopia and Canada have co-led impactful studies examining mortality trends, injury epidemiology, and practice patterns in the Tikur Anbessa Emergency Department. These include analyses of early mortality predictors, head trauma outcomes, and knowledge and uptake of peripheral nerve blocks—all foundational to shaping local policy and training priorities. Qualitative research and implementation science has also focused on the co-development of clinical decision tools, ensuring care algorithms are evidence-based and feasible in low-resource settings. 

This body of work exemplifies TAAAC-EM’s commitment to capacity-building research—led by local priorities, grounded in partnership, and designed to improve health outcomes in Ethiopia and beyond.

Publications, Presentations and Media

PUBLICATIONS

  1. Puchalski Ritchie LM, Debebe F, Azazh A. Barriers to and facilitators of the development and utilization of context appropriate evidence based clinical algorithms to optimize clinical care and patient outcomes in the Tikur Anbessa emergency department: a multi-component qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research. 2019 Dec;19:1-9.
  2. Stachura M, Landes M, Aklilu F, Venugopal R, Hunchak C, Berman S, Maskalyk J, Sarrazin J, Kebede T, Azazh A. Evaluation of a point-of-care ultrasound scan list in a resource-limited emergency centre in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. African Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2017 Sep 1;7(3):118-23.
  3. Landes M, Venugopal R, Berman S, Heffernan S, Maskalyk J, Azazh A. Epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes of head injured patients in an Ethiopian emergency centre. African journal of emergency medicine. 2017 Sep 1;7(3):130-4.
  4. Zewdie A, Debebe F, Azazh A, Salmon M, Salmon C. A survey of emergency medicine and orthopaedic physicians’ knowledge, attitude, and practice towards the use of peripheral nerve blocks. African Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2017 Jun 1;7(2):79-83.
  5. Debebe F, Woldetsadik A, Laytin AD, Azazh A, Maskalyk J. The clinical profile and acute care of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury at a tertiary care emergency centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. African Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2016 Dec 1;6(4):180-4.
  6. Hunchak C, Teklu S, Meshkat N, Meaney C, Puchalski Ritchie L. Patterns and predictors of early mortality among emergency department patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC research notes. 2015 Dec;8:1-9.

 

PRESENTATIONS

  1. Puchalski Ritchie LM, Azazh A, Berman S, Debebe F, Straus SE. Challenges and opportunities to the development and utilization of context appropriate evidence based clinical algorithms in the Tikur Anbessa Emergency Department, Ethiopia. 4th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Nov 2016.
  2. Landes M, Venugopal R, Berman S, Azazh A. Epidemiology and outcomes of head injury patients in an urban Ethiopian emergency department. AfCEM 2014, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. DATE(Poster Presentation)
  3. Landes M, Venugopal R, Berman S, Azazh A. Epidemiology and outcomes of head injury patients in an urban Ethiopian emergency department. CAEP 2014, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. DATE(Poster Presentation)
  4. Landes M, Venugopal R, Berman S, Azazh A. Epidemiology and outcomes of head injury patients in an urban Ethiopian emergency department. DFCM Conference 2014, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. DATE (Poster Presentation)

Funding

We are very grateful for the continued financial support from the following donors and granting agencies (in alphabetical order):

Emergency Department

Emergency Department

Emergency Department