Emergency medicine is, in most instances, the first point of contact between the healthcare provider and the patient. Therefore, there is a need to prioritize an integrated system to help guarantee early recognition, diagnosis and prognosis to ensure that specific health needs have been met. It has become standard practice to implement specific guidelines and procedures in order to synchronize clinical practice.
The World Health Organization (WHO) created an Emergency, Trauma and Acute Care programme with the purpose of strengthening emergency care systems across the globe. The programme helps to establish the provision of high quality and efficient health services. Some of their publications and resources include:
- WHO Trauma Checklist: This checklist contains a list of items necessary to check upon receiving a trauma patient. It can be adapted to fit local contexts.
- Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care: These guidelines set standards for trauma treatment services, to help ensure optimal patient care. They define the human resources (staffing and training) and physical resources (infrastructure, equipment and supplies) necessary to ensure such care.
- Prehospital Trauma Care Systems: This manual aims to develop the human resource capacity in responding to trauma situations. In developing better prehospital care systems, health outcomes can be significantly improved.
- Post Crash Response: This manual highlights the steps to follow when dealing with Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) in order to care for victims prior to the arrival of professional help.