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Statement of Task
The objectives of this study are to: (1) examine the emergency care system in the U.S.; (2) explore its strengths, limitations, and future challenges; (3) describe a desired vision of the emergency care system; and (4) recommend strategies required to achieve that vision.
The project will identify and address key priorities across the continuum of emergency care services, including: 911 access and dispatch; prehospital emergency medical services (EMS); and hospital-based emergency, trauma, and critical care. The committee will consider a wide range of issues, including: the evolving role of the emergency department (ED) as a component of the public safety net system; workforce supply and professional education of EMS professionals, emergency physicians, nurses, and other members of the care team; ED patient flow within the hospital system; use of information technologies; disaster preparedness and surge capacity; and identification of high priority areas for clinical and health services research.
The study will also examine the unique challenges associated with the provision of emergency services to children and adolescents, and evaluate progress since the publication of the IOM's 1993 report, Emergency Medical Services for Children. The committee will consider the role of pediatric emergency services as an integrated component of the overall health system; system-wide EMSC planning, coordination, and funding; embedded pediatric training in professional education; and health services and clinical research.
In addition, the study will examine prehospital EMS and include an assessment of the current organization, delivery, and financing of EMS services and systems, and assess progress toward the EMS Agenda for the Future. The study will consider a wide range of issues, including: the evolving role of EMS as an integral component of the overall health care system, including dispatch, medical direction, and integration with trauma systems, pediatric EMS, public health, prevention and ED overcrowding; EMS system planning and coordination at the federal, state, and local levels; EMS funding and infrastructure investment, including equipment, communications, new technologies, and progress toward the development of interoperable EMS information systems; EMS workforce trends and professional education; and EMS research priorities and funding.
Project Structure and Workplan
The scope of this IOM project reflects a recent expansion through funding from additional federal sponsors. This expansion includes more focused studies of both pediatric and pre-hospital EMS issues, as well as hospital-based emergency department issues, and will be conducted within an integrated overall study design.
The structure of the project will now be as follows:
Project Sponsors
Current support for this project is provided by the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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