Research networks and their contribution to the quality of critical care

EDITORIAL Over the past few years, the intensive care field in our country has increased in terms of both volume and quality. There is now a huge community of healthcare professionals in more than 2,500 intensive care units throughout the country. This dissemination of our specialty has also been associated with an increased interest in research participation and the generation of knowledge that could be applicable to our clinical setting. As the only critical care society in Brazil, the mission of AMIB is to stimulate initiatives to improve clinical research in critically ill patients and to help disseminate knowledge in critical care. One of our roles as a professional association is to establish standards of care among Brazilian intensive care units, which not only accomplishes our goal of effectively caring for severely ill patients but also provides an adequate environment for clinical research. In the absence of high-quality care provided by an adequate multidisciplinary team, no single intervention can ensure a positive patient outcome. AMIB also serves to support local initiatives in studies and surveys focused on assessing the current status of specific diseases. In this context, AMIBnet, the research network run by our society, has an important mission. AMIBnet must provide the tools and infrastructure necessary to complete this task. However, we believe that the research community of Brazil is ready for new challenges. Most of the current evidence in the critical care field comes from high-income countries. Few interventions have been tested in countries with more limited resources, and we have to consider that the impact of interventions in these nations could be different. As a leading emerging country with one of the largest ICU networks in the world, it is our responsibility to contribute to the appropriate assessment of interventions in limited-resource scenarios and to generate our own high-quality scientific data. We are also under pressure to test interventions for improving the translation of scientific knowledge in bedside practice. In this new context, AMIB welcomes the new BRICnet initiative. BRICnet has the potential to be one of the most important research networks in the world, as we have now a huge number of qualified ICUs throughout the country. BRICnet comprises a group of well-known, high-quality scientists with the international contacts and recognition needed to establish international cooperation. The access to research funding will facilitate the Redes de pesquisa e sua contribuição para a qualidade em cuidados intensivos