Pay attention to emergency physicians

I am responsible for training of medical students and new physicians in the specialty of emergency medicine at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and I want to inform readers about the role of emergency physicians in the greater health care system.

As the nation implements health care reform, care by emergency physicians has never been more important. We treat everyone, and we see the full spectrum of medical problems. We save more than lives - we are dedicated specialists who mobilize resources and coordinate care for our patients.

A new report by the RAND Corporation (http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR280.html) finds that emergency physicians are playing a role in reducing health care costs. We are key decision-makers for nearly half of all hospital admissions, which account for more than 30 percent of the nation's health care costs.

This report urges policymakers and hospital administrators to pay closer attention to the role that emergency physicians can play in evaluating, managing and preventing hospital admissions. Greater collaboration is needed between office-based and hospital-based physicians to ensure seamless transitions for patients from one site of care to another, and ultimately safely home. Emergency departments must be fully integrated in health care delivery systems.

Hans House

Vice Chair for Education and Interim Vice Chair for Research

Department of Emergency Medicine

University of Iowa