title: Emergency care: then, now, and next.
abstract: Five decades ago, hospitals staffed their emergency rooms with rotating community physicians or unsupervised hospital staff. Ambulance service was frequently provided by a local funeral home. Beginning in the late 1960s and accelerating thereafter, emergency care swiftly evolved into its current form. Today, modern emergency departments not only are capable of providing around-the-clock lifesaving care in individual emergencies and disasters. They also conduct timely diagnostic workups, provide access to after-hours acute care, and serve as the "safety net of the safety net" for millions of low-income and uninsured patients. But the field's success has led to a new set of challenges. To overcome them, emergency care must become more integrated, regionalized, prevention oriented, and innovative.
authors.forename: Arthur L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kellermann
authors.forename: Renee Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Hsia
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Kristine G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Morganti
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000266:history / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends*; D017664:Uncompensated Care
keywords: Access To Care; History Of Medicine/Health Care; Organization And Delivery Of Care; Safety-Net Systems