Current Research Projects

We undertake committed scientific work to improve hospital and home care practices, to rigorously and independently test new products, and to promote global networks of vascular access researchers.

Patients experiencing medical treatment and needing IV catheters (including venous and arterial, central and peripheral, dialysis, chemotherapy, nutrition and cardiac care) benefit from reduced complications and a better experience of their IV treatment.

By drawing on our mix of inter-disciplinary expertise, understanding of the sector and access to international vascular access, we can help conduct needs assessment to identify gaps in clinical knowledge of professional evidence, identify potential areas of clinical practice change and develop appropriate strategies to help improve clinical workforce practice.

Our staff has professional experience in conducting these type of engagements with different clients including consulting companies, government agencies and industry bodies. The AVATAR group works to eliminate ineffective practices, and replace them with innovative solutions - saving global healthcare providers hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

Examples of current research include:

Difficult IV Access and Ultrasound Guided PIVCs (DIVA)

Preventing adverse events during paediatric cancer treatment (CLOCK Trial)

Difficult Access Requires Thought, Training and Technology (DART3)

I-DECIDED device assessment and decision tool

NeOnatal Vascular Access study: an observational audit of neonatal vascular access complications (NOVA Study)

Peripherally inserted central catheter Innovation to reduCe Infections and Clots (the PICNIC trial)

Innovation to improve the experience and outcomes of paediatric central venous access devices: the e-Vascular Access Passport

Development of the Paediatric Michigan Appropriateness Guide for Infusion Catheters (mini-MAGIC)

Peripherally InSerted CEntral catheter dressing and Securement (PISCES Trial)

Integrated versus nOn-integrated Peripheral inTravenous catheter. Which Is the most clinical and cost-effective systeM for peripheral intravenoUs catheter Management? (OPTIMUM Trial)

Secure My Intravascular Line Effectively (The SMILE Trials)

Controlling device Occlusion and infection by ConnectOr design And decontamination (The COCOA Trials)

Intravascular device administration sets: Replacement after Standard Versus Prolonged use (The RSVP Trial)

REDUcing the burden of dialysis Catheter ComplicaTIOns: a National approach (REDUCCTION study)

Evaluation of a closed loop sampling system in intensive care: A pilot randomised controlled trial (ENCLOSE)

Standard versUs peRForated peripheral intravenous catheter: a pilot randomised controlled trial. (The SURF trial)

Vascular AccesS Catheter Use in Latin AmeRica (VASCULAR study) 

Read Our Research