title: Prehospital emergency care in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
abstract: Once a harsh land with limited resources, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has undergone considerable change over the 50 years after the discovery of vast natural gas and petroleum reserves. In addition to significant economic and societal changes, remarkable improvements have been made in the provision of health care services, including expanded health care infrastructure, human resource development, and decreased infectious disease morbidity and mortality. Emergency medicine (EM) and emergency medical services (EMS) within the country are currently limited, with the UAE best described as being in the "developing" phase of EM. Within the capital city, Abu Dhabi, the Ministry of Health, Civil Defense, and police provide the majority of EMS services. At the present time, there are no uniform medical control or treatment protocols, communications systems, systems management, training or education, or quality assurance policies. However, the recent advancements in health care, and a developing practice of and interest in EM, may lead to improved EMS and prehospital care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. ssasser@emory.edu
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasser
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Blackwell
mesh_terms: D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D014479:United Arab Emirates; D014505:Urban Population