Lack of Research
Despite the intuitive appeal of the thought that increasing availability to emergency medicine will improve patient outcomes, little empirical evidence exists to directly support that claim even in developed countries. Between 1985 and 1998 only 54 randomized controlled trials related to emergency medical services were published, implying that much of the current standard of care rests upon meager support. More to the point, a similar lack of direct proof exists for the effectiveness of international assistance in promoting emergency medicine in other countries. Although it may seem that such efforts must improve health, the failure to quantify international emergency medicine's impact renders it more difficult to identify the best practices and target areas in which the most benefit may be achieved.
A development in recent years that seeks address these issues has been termed evidence-based medicine. As its name suggests, this approach strives to rigorously study the effects of different interventions instead of relying on logic or tradition. Its application worldwide could led to the boon of sharing best practices between emergency medicine practitioners in various countries, thus advancing the current standard of emergency care.
Read more about this topic: International Emergency Medicine, Challenges
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