Russell MacDonald

Alternate Email: russell.macdonald@toronto.ca

Research Synopsis

Dr. MacDonald's research is focused on the reduction of risks and identification of sources of error or near misses in critical care land and air transport. His work includes a comprehensive patient-centred, system-based and vehicle-centred approach that involves working with multidisciplinary teams of experts in medicine, aviation, communication and engineering to address complex interdisciplinary challenges in air and land critical care patient transport. The results are development of predictive strategies and use a taxonomy-based approach to categorize events, perform root cause analyses to mitigate adverse events and improve patient safety in the transport setting.

Dr. MacDonald is also interested in an operations-based approach to system performance improvement and evidence-based resource allocation. Working with experts in operations-based research, he is involved in the development of systems that predict and optimize allocation of aircraft and crew resources to improve access to air medical transport while minimizing health care costs.

Multidisciplinary areas of research allow Dr. MacDonald to assist and supervise graduate students in medical and nonmedical programs that focus on prehospital care and transport medicine research.