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    • Mr David Ford
      https://www.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/image/0005/727520/David-Ford.jpg
    • Mr David Ford

      Mr David Ford

Mr David Ford

Senior Lecturer

Staff Member Details
Telephone: +61 8 6304 3438
Email: d.ford@ecu.edu.au
Campus: Joondalup  
Room: JO21.534  
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6727-2391

David is the Course Coordinator of the Critical Care and Community Paramedicine specialisations of the Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters of Paramedical Science courses.

Current Teaching

Unit coordinator for the following units:

  • PST5110 Advanced Cardiac Studies
  • PST5111 Advanced Medical Studies
  • PST5107 Advanced Obstetrics for Paramedics
  • PST6113 Paediatrics for Critical Care Paramedics
  • PSP6101 Critical Care Practicum (Intensive Care Phase)
  • PSP6105 Retrieval Medicine
  • PST6100 Community Care Practicum
  • PST5100 Community Health Care for Paramedics 1
  • PST5114 Community Health Care for Paramedics 2
  • PST6106 Community Health Care for Paramedics 3

Background

David is a Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) with over 20 year’s experience in Paramedicine including nine years as a CCP / rescue crewman on the Western Australian Emergency Rescue Helicopter Service (ERHS) and as a Clinical Support Paramedic and Ambulance Operational Manager. David has an extensive background in Paramedic education and has worked to improve the quality of pre-hospital care through many roles in the ambulance industry.

As the Paramedic representative on the Western Australian Ambulance Service (WAAS) Medical Policy Committee over a 10 year period, David collaborated in the review and development of paramedic clinical practice guidelines. He was a member of the Clinical Governance Review Committee for the Department of Health (DoH) Ambulance Review (2010) which sought to improve the safety and quality of ambulance care through the development and implementation of the WAAS Clinical Governance Framework. David was the Paramedic representative on the WAAS Helicopter Clinical Reference Committee and collaborated in the establishment of the WA ERHS.

David has undertaken a number of roles in pre-hospital alternative care pathways including the Project Officer for the Health Workforce Australia (HWA) Extending the Role of Paramedics Project (2012): A collaboration between ECU and St John Ambulance Northern Territory (SJANT) and as the Project Officer for the ‘Paramed Home’ Project (2012): A collaboration between Silver Chain, WA Health, ECU and UWA. This research study compared treatment at home to treatment at hospital for low risk patients with chronic health conditions treated by paramedics. He has also worked in the industrial sector co-ordinating Paramedical support for offshore construction vessels working in the oil and gas industry.

For his master’s thesis David conducted a clinical trial of intranasal fentanyl for the management of pain in the pre-hospital setting. He is currently researching helicopter retrieval of severely injured rural trauma patients.

Professional Associations

  • Paramedics Australasia
  • Australia and New Zealand College of Paramedicine

Awards and Recognition

  • National Medal (Australia)

Research Areas and Interests

David is currently researching helicopter retrieval of severely injured trauma patients, comparing outcomes for patients transported directly from the accident scene to a trauma centre versus indirect transport via a local hospital prior to transport to a tertiary hospital.

Qualifications

  • Post Graduate of Science(Critical Care Paramedicine), Edith Cowan University, 2006.
  • Master of Medical Science, The University of Western Australia, 2005.
  • AdvancDiploma in Health Science(Ambulance pre-hospital care), Australia, 1999.
  • Diploma in Health Science(Ambulance pre-hospital care), Australia, 1999.

Research Outputs

2024

Journal Articles

  • Dawson, I., Mills, B., Ford (smhs), D. (2024). Comparing the efficacy of simulated out-of-hospital ventilation with SMART bag-valve and traditional bag-valve devices. International Journal of Paramedicine, 8(Article in press), 159-172. https://doi.org/10.56068/ VOVO8201.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Spring Walsh, B., Gardiner, F., Bloxsome, D., Ford (smhs), D., Mills, B., Laws, S. (2022). A Cohort Comparison Study on Women in Threatened Preterm Labor Given Nifedipine or Nifedipine and Salbutamol Tocolysis in Air Medical Retrieval. Air Medical Journal, 41(3), 298-302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amj.2022.02.005.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Ford (smhs), D., Mills, B., Ciccone, N., Beatty, S. (2020). Does Direct Helicopter Retrieval Improve Survival of Severely Injured Trauma Patients From Rural Western Australia?. Air Medical Journal, 39(3), 183-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amj.2020.01.005.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Smith, E., Burkle, F., Gebbie, K., Ford (smhs), D., Bensimon, C. (2019). A Qualitative Study of Paramedic Duty to Treat During Disaster Response. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 13(2), 191-196. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2018.15.

2018

Journal Articles

  • Smith, E., Burkle Jr, F., Gebbie, K., Ford (smhs), D., Bensimon, C. (2018). Acceptable limitations on paramedic duty to treat during disaster: A qualitative exploration. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 33(5), 466-470. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X18000857.

Research Student Supervision

Current Supervisions

Co-principal Supervisor

  • Master of Medical and Health Science by Research, The impact of integrated hospital helipads on patient transport time for the WA emergency rescue helicopter service

Associate Supervisor

  • Master of Medical and Health Science by Research, Comparing the efficacy of simulated out-of-hospital ventilation with SMART bag-valve and traditional bag-valve devices.

Completed Supervisions

Associate Supervisor

  • Master of Medical and Health Science by Research, REMOTE PRETERM BIRTH PREVENTION: Comparison of Nifedipine and Salbutamol Tocolysis in Aeromedical Retrieval
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