The IOM Committee on the Future of Emergency Care was formed in September 2003 to examine the full scope of emergency care; explore its strengths, limitations, and challenges; create a vision for the future of the system; and make recommendations to help the nation achieve that vision. Future of Emergency Care: Dissemination Workshop Summaries is the result of three regional IOM workshops conducted across the country, and a fourth capstone workshop conducted in Washington, DC. The committee’s conclusions and recommendations from three previous reports, Emergency Medical Services at the Crossroads; Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point; and Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains, were discussed at these workshops.

This study was requested by Congress and funded through a congres­sional appropriation, along with additional sponsorship from the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Dis­ease Control and Prevention, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.