The Current Crisis in Emergency Care and the Impact on Disaster Preparedness
2008

The Crisis in Emergency Care and Its Effects on Disaster Preparedness

Commentary

Author Information

Author(s): Cherry Robert A, Trainer Marcia

Primary Institution: Penn State College of Medicine

Hypothesis

How has federal funding impacted disaster preparedness in emergency care?

Conclusion

The current state of emergency care is inadequate to meet national preparedness mandates and public expectations.

Supporting Evidence

  • Federal funding for emergency care has not been sufficient to meet the needs of disaster preparedness.
  • Emergency departments are experiencing overcrowding and staffing shortages.
  • The trauma system is critical for responding to disasters but is underfunded.

Takeaway

Emergency rooms are really busy and can't handle all the patients, which makes it hard for them to be ready for big disasters.

Limitations

The commentary does not provide specific data or empirical evidence to support its claims.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-227X-8-7

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