The Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group point prevalence program, 2009-2016.

BACKGROUND: Cross-sectional point prevalence studies collect observational data at a single time point and may be used to facilitate subsequent research hypotheses and discovery.

METHODS: We report the process of implementation and substantive outputs of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group (ANZICS CTG) point prevalence program, conducted in participating intensive care units from 2009 to 2016.

RESULTS: Seventy-seven of a maximum 197 adult ICUs across Australia and New Zealand participated in 9 specified study days over 18 days of data collection and collected data on 5043 participants, with an average of 44 ICUs per study day. All eight Australian and New Zealand paediatric ICUs have participated in dedicated simultaneous paediatric study days. Thirteen manuscripts were published in peer-reviewed journals and data have contributed to 14 individual programs of research, including 18 subsequent grant applications for further research.

CONCLUSION: The ANZICS CTG point prevalence program has resulted in the collection of a substantial body of observational data that has facilitated the development and completion of subsequent research programs and provided opportunities for subsequent capacity development.