Emergency medicine and global health policy: history and next steps

Abstract

Emergency medicine is a relatively new medical specialty that, when implemented, provides rapid management of acute critical ill- ness and injury. The specialty of emergency medicine allows health care providers to adjust their scope of practice to respond to both the immediate situation and the long–term needs of their community. It supports other branches of medicine by freeing them to practice their own specialized skill set, by providing emergent supportive care, and by serving as a directed gateway to the most appropriate levels of healthcare delivery.

Keywords

• Emergency medicine
• global health policy