
Episode #1
Talking Research: Quality and safety in focus - Robin Pap
Dr Robin Pap PhD - Defining quality before we measure it This episode kicks off a new Talking Research series on quality and safety research in paramedicine. Derek sits down with Dr Robin Pap, a paramedicine researcher with experience across South Africa, Qatar, and Australia, to unpack what quality and safety actually mean in pre-hospital care. Robin explains why safety and quality are related but distinct, and why measuring quality without first defining it can do more harm than good. Drawing on his PhD research, he describes how he narrowed hundreds of candidate quality indicators down to a validated, accepted set, and why some long-assumed measures didn't hold up under expert scrutiny. Robin also touches on staff buy-in, the blurred line between quality improvement and formal research, and the growing use of rapid reviews to keep pace with industry needs. He closes with advice for anyone starting out in research: find a problem you're genuinely passionate about and find a mentor to learn from. Presented by: Dr Robin Pap PhD Senior Lecturer in Paramedicine – Western Sydney University Paramedic Board Director – Safe Airway Society Founder and Co-Lead – Prehospital Qualitology Network Derek Collings-Hughes Senior Lecturer in Paramedicine - The University of Notre Dame Australia Paramedic PhD Student College Research Advisory Committee member






