Research Spotlight

A new study involving Fiona Wood Foundation researchers has been published in Burns Open, exploring what can make it easier or harder to take part in research in the burns outpatient clinic.

Student co-investigators Beau Scaddan and Rohan Kumar led the study as part of their undergraduate medicine degree at Curtin University, working alongside Dr Suzanne Rea from the State Adult Burn Unit, Professor Fiona Wood, and Associate Professor Dale Edgar.

The research included 11 adults with lived experience of burn injury and eight members of the multidisciplinary burns team. Researchers used one-to-one interviews to gather experiences and insights into what helps or hinders participation in research within the burns outpatient clinic.

The study identified having enough time as an important factor in supporting participation, particularly during consent. Clear communication, language or confidence support, the opportunity to raise individual concerns, and a clear understanding of what the research involved were also identified as important.

These findings can inform how future burns research is designed and conducted, with greater consideration of the experience and needs of the people taking part.

Read the published study:
Scaddan, B., Kumar, R., Rea, S., Wood, F. M., & Edgar, D. W. (2025). Partnering with consumers and multidisciplinary team to understand challenges when conducting clinical trials in the burns ambulatory clinical environment: A qualitative research study. Burns Open, 12, Article 100428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burnso.2025.100428

Read the full article in Burns Open