Tell us! What questions about accidental injuries does research need to address?

What is the project about?

Every year, around 800,000 accident-related injuries are treated in Austrian hospitals. Leisure accidents alone incur total economic costs of around 100 billion euros annually. In the diagnosis, initial care, treatment and rehabilitation of accident-related injuries, important practical knowledge is accumulated in day-to-day clinical practice, which has not yet been systematically fed back into research. Furthermore, patients’ experiences hold valuable insights that can be utilised by researchers. For this reason, the Ludwig Boltzmann Society has launched its second “Tell Us!” crowdsourcing initiative for research questions, collecting research questions on accident injuries to be taken up by the research community.

What is the goal of the project?

The aim was to involve patients, doctors, therapists, carers and relatives in the research process in a novel way. To this end, the project collected research questions based on the collective experience of the crowd, such as experiences in clinical practice, personal experiences as a patient and/or when supporting patients as a carer. These research questions are extremely valuable, as they enable researchers to address novel questions relevant to clinical practice and subsequently answer them scientifically.

Who participates in the project?

Under the slogan “Tell Us! What Questions About Accidental Injuries Does Research Need To Address?”, patients, their relatives, doctors, nurses and therapists were able to submit their questions to researchers via an online platform.

How are participants involved in the project?

An online crowdsourcing initiative was launched, open to people worldwide. Over a six-month period, more than 826 research questions were collected from 39 countries. The majority of submissions (80% of all submissions) came from patients and their relatives; 20% of the questions were submitted by experts with medical experience (31% by nurses, 18% by doctors, 14% by physiotherapists, 11% by occupational therapists). The submissions came from a total of 39 countries. By far the largest proportion of questions were submitted from Germany (58%), 14% came from Austria and 12% from the USA.

The research questions submitted were then categorised into 14 research areas. As part of a community vote, all participants were then able to vote on an online platform to decide which topic area the research should address.

How are participants recruited for the project?

Participants in the crowdsourcing initiative were recruited through a wide-ranging communication campaign. Particular attention was paid to creating a synergy between online and offline communication. The communication strategy focused on opinion leaders, supported by a multi-channel campaign designed to reach a broad audience.

What are the results of the project?

Three research areas were identified as priorities through a community vote: wound healing, therapy and rehabilitation, and ageing. Building on the existing expertise within the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Traumatology, it was decided to focus future research on the topic of ageing and regeneration. Following a ‘Lead User Lead Expert Workshop’, the Ludwig Boltzmann Research Group SHoW (Senescence and Healing of Wounds) was established.

What value and impact has the project achieved?

The "Tell Us! What Questions About Accidental Injuries Does Research Need To Address?" project incorporated practical experience into research, thereby generating new starting points for research projects that are of particular benefit to society. This will help to improve the diagnosis and treatment of accident injuries in the future.

What publications have emerged from the project?

• Abschlussbericht: Reden Sie mit! Unfallverletzungen (download)
• Final report: Tell Us! Accidental Injuries (download)

Project lead

Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft, Open Innovation in Science Center

puevfgvnar.tevyy@yot.np.ng