Emergency Trials Unit

Progress in emergency medical care has been hampered by a lack of clinical trials in our patient population. Research can be challenging in the emergency setting. Enrollments are unpredictable, patients are often critically-ill, and trial interventions are often time-critical. Obtaining informed consent in this context can also be challenging, sometimes requires the use of Exception from Informed Consent (EFIC) mechanisms, and often requires deep engagement with the community prior to enrolling the first patient. The goal of the Emergency Trials Unit (ETU) is to facilitate all types of emergency research at the University of Chicago by bringing together expertise and infrastructure that enables the highest quality emergency clinical research at the University of Chicago. The ETU portfolio includes a variety of NIH, foundation, and industry sponsored multi-center clinical trials as well as investigator-initiated studies in topic areas as diverse as cardiac arrest, traumatic brain injury, stroke, opioid use disorder, and depression. For more information, contact David G. Beiser, MD, MS, Director of Emergency Research.