Articles: emergency-medicine.
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This SAEM position paper clarifies the role of emergency medicine in health care delivery. It builds upon the working definition of emergency medicine developed by the American College of Emergency Physicians in 1994 by describing the health care role of emergency physicians (EPs). EPs are first-contact providers who care for all patients regardless of age, gender, time of presentation, or ability to pay. ⋯ The EP's role is in organizing and monitoring the emergency care delivery system. Part of this role is to better align the health care provider training and ability with the specific medical needs of a patient. The emergency health care system remains the essential medical safety net for all individuals needing care in this country.
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Information needs for emergency medicine research and for practice are closely related. A well-developed information system can serve both, allowing data gathered in one setting to be used for the other. To produce the best environment for emergency medicine research, providers should support data standards, promote education in data analysis, and understand the informational structure of emergency medicine practice.