Invitation, Participant Information and Consent

You are invited to participate in a research study on understanding Australian paramedics' safety when responding to calls and transporting patients to healthcare facilities. This knowledge will further inform and influence paramedics about their safety and the use of seatbelts during response and transportation. It is anticipated that recommendations will be made for improving the safety of the paramedics and the vehicles in which they work.

Research Team:
Chief Investigator:
Mr Lyle Brewster
Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Charles Sturt University
Ph: 02 6338 4643
Email: lbrewster@csu.edu.au
Lead Supervisor: Co-Supervisor: Co-Supervisor:
Associate Professor John Rae Associate Professor Rachel Rossiter Professor Scott Devenish
Head of School Associate Professor in Medical Research Head of Discipline Paramedicine
School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences School of Rural Medicine Faculty of Heath Sciences
Charles Sturt University Charles Sturt University Australian Catholic University
Ph: (02) 6338 4395 Ph: (02) 63657245 Ph: (07) 36237202
Email: SDMS-HOS@csu.edu.au Email: rrossiter@csu.edu.au Email: scott.devenish@scu.edu.au

If you wish to ask any questions prior to participating, please contact one of the researchers named above. This study forms part of a PhD program at Charles Sturt University.

Participation in this survey is anonymous and entirely voluntary and should take no longer than 10 minutes. We will ask you questions regarding demographics and your experience of safety when responding to and transporting patients. You will be asked to complete several types of questions, including multiple-choice, Likert scales, and ranking questions.

There is no payment or reward for participating in this survey.
Data Collection, Use & Storage
The data collected will be presented in the Chief Investigator's PhD dissertation and may also be presented at academic conferences and/or published in peer-reviewed journals. The researchers named above, and other researchers who may join the research team in the future, may also re-analyse your data as part of future related or unrelated studies.

Participation is anonymous and entirely voluntary. Whether or not you decide to participate is your decision and will not disadvantage you. If you do decide to participate, you may stop the survey at any time, however each time you click on the “Next” button your responses are stored and may be used in the research. Since participation is anonymous, there is no way of identifying your individual data. It is therefore not possible for you to later request deletion of any data you provide.

By progressing beyond this Information Statement page, you are indicating your informed consent to participate in this study and the researchers may use the data you provide. For example, if you decide to withdraw from participating after completing 15 questions, that information will be recorded and might be used for data analysis.

Support
Although you will not be asked to describe any traumatic events, it is acknowledged that by answering questions about your current state of mental health, you may potentially experience distress. If you anticipate any distress, you should reconsider participating in this survey. Should you in any way become distressed during participation, you are encouraged to discontinue. If you are considering suicide or self-harm, you should seek immediate help. If you require support, you can contact your doctor, your service’s EAP (Employee Assistance Program), or any of the following options:
  • Lifeline Australia | 13 11 14
  • MensLine Australia | 1300 78 99 78
  • Suicide Call Back Service | 1300 659 467
  • Beyond Blue | 1300 22 4636
  • Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling | 1800 011 046
  • Qlife – anonymous and free LGBTI peer support | 1800 184 527 – (3PM-Midnight every day)
  • The National Indigenous Postvention Service – After Suicide Support 24/7 | 1800 805 801
  • Brother to brother 24-hour crisis line | 1800 435 799
Ethical Approval
This project has been approved by Charles Sturt University’s Human Research Ethics Committee [Protocol number: H22429]. If you have any complaints or reservations about the ethical conduct of this project, you may contact the Committee through the Governance Officer:
     Presiding Officer
     Human Research Ethics Committee Ethics and Compliance Unit
     Charles Sturt University
     Locked Bag 588. NSW. 2678.
     Phone: (02) 6933 4213.
     Email: ethics@csu.edu.au
Any issues you raise will be treated in confidence and investigated fully, and you will be informed of the outcome.
Consent:

Question Title

* 1. By clicking the 'I consent' button below, you are providing your consent to participate in this study but are free to stop participating at any time during the study by closing your browser window.

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