‘Ember to Empower’: Co-designing a one-stop burn recovery toolkit for burn survivors
Synopsis
Why the research project is important
(L-R) Dr Angela Melder, Jenna English, Dale Trevor, Dr Andrea Mc Kittrick, A/Prof Zephanie Tyack, A/Prof Alex De Young, Dr Kate Young.
Getting burned can be a challenging experience, and recovery continues long after leaving hospital. Children, young people, and adults may struggle with how they feel, look, and connect with others. Families may also struggle or want more information.
That’s why burn survivors are helping create Ember to Empower, a toolkit designed to support everyday life after a burn injury. It will bring together information in one place to give burn survivors, and the people who care about them, the support they need as they adjust to life after a burn. The project is co-led by people who have experienced burns and supported by the Australian and New Zealand Burn Association.
Children, young people, adults, and their families with lived experience are helping shape the toolkit every step of the way, ensuring it is authentic, useful, and made for people who have been through a burn injury.
What the research seeks to do
We want people affected by burn injuries to get the support and information they need, no matter where they live in Australia. Right now, finding this after leaving the hospital may be difficult. The Ember to Empower study is all about changing that.
We’re working in three stages to make sure support is practical and easy to access:
(L-R): Dr Kate Young, Dr Angela Melder, Dale Trevor, Charlotte Brown, A/Prof Zephanie Tyack, Jenna English.
- Listening and Learning
We’re talking to burn survivors and their families to understand what support and information is missing.
- Creating Together
We’re co-designing the Ember to Empower toolkit with survivors, families and communities so it reflects real-life needs.
- Making It Work
We’re measuring how well the toolkit works and refining it based on feedback.
What are the research outcomes/ impact
The Ember to Empower toolkit will give burn survivors and their families trusted, accessible resources to support recovery—wherever they live.
It will be available anytime, empowering survivors in their recovery journey.
Who Will Benefit?
The project aims to ensure all burn survivors across Australia have equal access to the support they need. This includes those living in rural and regional areas.
Funding Body
The project has been funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) under the Survivorship Scheme (#2040537).
Getting Involved
If you would like to participate in this research or need further information, please click the study recruitment button below, or contact ember2empower@qut.edu.au.
