[Integration of the community emergency center into medical services].
The first community emergency center (CEC) in Israel was established in 1988 in Jerusalem. It provided medical services after health fund clinic working hours, in a primary care facility, by primary care physicians. In the past 5 years Israel has witnessed growth in this method of health care delivery and more than 20 such centers have been established throughout the country. We describe a CEC in a small town, and its function and its integration within the regional medical services. 2 retrospective studies examined 3 aspects of the CEC: patient profiles including age, sex, and major diagnoses, use of specific services; and referrals to the emergency room.
Milman
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U
Dept. of Family Medicine, Technion Faculty of Medicine and Kupat Holim Klalit, Haifa.
Reis
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S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009551:Night Care; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies