Emergency medicine and injury prevention: meeting at the intersection

Abstract

Emergency medicine (EM) physicians need little convincing that injury prevention is a public health priority. Clinical experience alone creates a clear appreciation for the impact that injuries have on children and their families. The role of the EM physician is evolving from primary responsibility for the acute care of injuries to a more expanded prevention role including education, research and advocacy. Many emergency department (ED)-based injury prevention projects have been developed and individual EM physicians have emerged as leaders in the field of injury prevention. However, challenges remain. Development of effective interventions which can realistically be implemented in a busy ED are lacking. Expansion of the role of the emergency health care provider outside the hospital, in the community, has great potential for success. The goal of this paper is to discuss the current status of primary injury prevention within emergency medicine, barriers that exist and areas of opportunity.