A case for multisite studies in critical care

Studies in critical care settings are essential to improve critical case pr actice. Critical care research conducted at a single site may be limited wi th respect to sample size leading to large type II error, diminished statis tical power, decreased generalizability, and inconclusive results. Multiple -site studies are more likely to change nursing practice in critical care. They allow for larger sample size, broader sampling, faster accrual rates, and meaningful subgroup analyses. Successful multisite research requires mo re thorough planning, and deliberate steps are required to ensure its feasi bility and acceptability. Multisite research protocols can be challenging r egarding communication, reliability, and data integrity. However, defining and addressing these challenges and selecting subjects and settings appropr iately can lead to results that are more generalizable and relevant to prac tice.