A report on the International Conference in Emergency Medicine and Public Health: Qatar 2016

Abstract

In recent years, Emergency Medicine (EM) has emerged as an important specialty in addressing numerous public health concerns such as management of chronic conditions, injuries, emerging health risks, and the delivery of clinical and preventive services. In Qatar and many other parts of the world, the Emergency Department (ED) serves as a point of entry into the healthcare system for a large percentage of the population. EDs often serve as potential sites of surveillance for various public health initiatives. Public health aims to prevent disease and their spread, promote health, and prolong life expectancy among the population as a whole. The critical interface between EM and Public Heath has been recognized in the literature as an important measure of the overall care given to the community (Bernstein et al, 1994; Bernstein and Haukoos, 2008).