The Trauma Learning Collaborative was intended to close the evidence-practice gap and improve outcomes for the traumatically injured. Specific objectives were to strengthen the evidence base for practice change and increase the opportunities for learning and coordination across the trauma and rehabilitation service network. The vision was to create a “community of practice” (CoP) of clinicians, researchers, policy makers, insurers and service users (patients) to build trust, share knowledge and generate empirical evidence for use in quality improvement initiatives. The approach represents a fundamental paradigm shift in that it actively sought to bridge disciplinary silos and address knowledge gaps within and across the trauma rehabilitation delivery system.

Participants were enrolled from across sectors, institutions and disciplines to participate in the production of valid and reliable evidence for sustainable quality improvement. TRIC combined the expertise to develop valid research projects with the capability to implement and effect change in practice. It supported the creation of an integrated research and implementation continuum stretching from pre-hospital care to long-term rehabilitation that could transform the service across the system.