
Emergency Medicine Resident
Health Affairs has dedicated their entire December issue to issues surrounding emergency medicine. The reason for a theme issue focused on emergency medicine? As Founding Editor John Inglehart says in his article “Mission Versus Reality in Emergency Care”:
“Emergency departments seem like orphans in the US health care system, with few strong allies among policy makers; as an afterthought in the Affordable Care Act; and, until recently, largely overlooked by agencies that fund research. … This thematic issue of Health Affairs focuses on emergency care, long popularized by television dramas but less recognized for the array of activities in which practitioners are engaged.”
- An assessment of the realities of practicing in emergency medicine
- The continued influence of EMTALA
- The importance of a coordinated regional approach to emergency care and trauma
- Emergency department frequent fliers and how we can use health information technology to identify them
- Review of pediatric and geriatric emergency medicine care
- The role of protocols and observation units in decreasing costs and admissions as well as strategies for integrating and rewarding cost-consciousness acute care
- Disaster preparedness and response lessons from Japan after the tsunami and Israel’s response to mass casualty incidents
This is just a brief overview of some of the topics addressed and more specific reviews are forthcoming. If you are interested in policy, health care, or want to gain a better appreciation for the trajectory of emergency medicine this issue would be well worth your time.