saem president's comments on the annual meeting

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~~ President‘s Commentary, Sklar 335 I COMMENTARIES SAEM President’s Comments on the Annual Meeting Duvid P. Sklar, MD I The SAEM abstracts featured in this issue of Academic Emergency Medicine provide a snapshot of the important questions being pursued by emergency medicine (EM) re- searchers. To a degree, they also identify those individuals and insti- tutions active in EM research. I have always enjoyed the opportunity to absorb the bullets of information found in the abstracts. Certain ab- stracts catch my attention and guide my attendance at the presentation of the research abstract. Although it is tempting to scan the abstracts of interest and then attend other di- dactic events occurring concurrently at the SAEM annual meeting, the discussion of study methods and interpretation of the results that oc- cur during and after the abstract presentation provide critical feed- back to the presenting researchers and their peers in the audience. I strongly urge every SAEM meeting attendee to identify abstracts and topics of special interest and then participate in the critical review of the research presented. The past year has demonstrated the importance of research in EM as a measure of our specialty’s ma- turity as an academic discipline. Emergency medicine has provided leadership in the development of a joint position statement with other specialties concerning the waiver of consent for critical research. This leadership role and resulting accom- plishments would not have been possible without a core of recog- nized EM researchers in resuscita- tion and critical care. There also has been intense discussion concerning the priorities for EM research in the future. Meetings of experienced and productive EM researchers to ad- dress this issue have been planned. The SAEM leadership will play an active role in this process. Overall, we can take great pride in the quan- tity and the quality of EM research, which is accomplished despite our crushing clinical demands. The in- triguing issues reflected in the 1995 abstracts address our educational methods, clinical care, and related mechanisms of disease. These ab- stracts highlight the continued vi- brancy and creativity of our spe- cialt y . The Society also has been actively involved in discussions of health care reform and managed care over the past year. SAEM committees have examined the implications of reform for EM education, manpower, re- search, out-of-hospital care, and clinical practice. Annual meeting presentations and Academic Emer- gency Medicine manuscripts will outline the Society’sposition on these important issues. Collaboration with other organizations within and out- side of EM has been accelerated in an effort to enhance the SAEM ad- vocacy role. Although federally mandated health care reform pro- posals were defeated in 1994, we be- lieve that our efforts to build link- ages between ourselves and others interested in serving critically ill and injured patients will provide a strong foundation for the activities that will be necessary in the coming years. We also believe that as advocates for patients who are unable to access primary health care in other Set- tings, we provide an important eth- ical perspective that must not be ig- nored in the rush to cut back the more visible costs of health care. We intend to maintain our strong ad- vocacy for these and other emer- gency patients within the context of the safety net role of the ED, while continuing to promote the impor- tance of EM research and education in an increasingly complex health care system. ........................................................ , .......... . ......,..... Dr. Sklar is the President of the Society for Adademic Emergency Medicine. Received: December 28, 1994; accepted: January 4. 1995. Address for correspondence and reprints: Dwid P. Sklar. MD. The University of New Mexico. School of Medicine. Department of Emergency Medicine. Ambulatory Care Center. 4 West. Albuquerque, NM 87131- 5246. Key words: emetgency medicine; medical ed- ucation; medical research; Society for Am demic Emergency Medicine.

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Page 1: SAEM President's Comments on the Annual Meeting

~~

President‘s Commentary, Sklar 335

I COMMENTARIES SAEM President’s Comments on the Annual Meeting

Duvid P . Sklar, MD

I The SAEM abstracts featured in this issue of Academic Emergency Medicine provide a snapshot of the important questions being pursued by emergency medicine (EM) re- searchers. To a degree, they also identify those individuals and insti- tutions active in EM research. I have always enjoyed the opportunity to absorb the bullets of information found in the abstracts. Certain ab- stracts catch my attention and guide my attendance at the presentation of the research abstract. Although it is tempting to scan the abstracts of interest and then attend other di- dactic events occurring concurrently at the SAEM annual meeting, the discussion of study methods and interpretation of the results that oc- cur during and after the abstract presentation provide critical feed- back to the presenting researchers and their peers in the audience. I strongly urge every SAEM meeting attendee to identify abstracts and topics of special interest and then participate in the critical review of the research presented.

The past year has demonstrated the importance of research in EM as a measure of our specialty’s ma- turity as an academic discipline. Emergency medicine has provided leadership in the development of a joint position statement with other specialties concerning the waiver of consent for critical research. This leadership role and resulting accom-

plishments would not have been possible without a core of recog- nized EM researchers in resuscita- tion and critical care. There also has been intense discussion concerning the priorities for EM research in the future. Meetings of experienced and productive EM researchers to ad- dress this issue have been planned. The SAEM leadership will play an active role in this process. Overall, we can take great pride in the quan- tity and the quality of EM research, which is accomplished despite our crushing clinical demands. The in- triguing issues reflected in the 1995 abstracts address our educational methods, clinical care, and related mechanisms of disease. These ab- stracts highlight the continued vi- brancy and creativity of our spe- cial t y .

The Society also has been actively involved in discussions of health care reform and managed care over the past year. SAEM committees have examined the implications of reform for EM education, manpower, re- search, out-of-hospital care, and clinical practice. Annual meeting presentations and Academic Emer- gency Medicine manuscripts will outline the Society’s position on these important issues. Collaboration with other organizations within and out- side of EM has been accelerated in an effort to enhance the SAEM ad- vocacy role. Although federally mandated health care reform pro-

posals were defeated in 1994, we be- lieve that our efforts to build link- ages between ourselves and others interested in serving critically ill and injured patients will provide a strong foundation for the activities that will be necessary in the coming years. We also believe that as advocates for patients who are unable to access primary health care in other Set- tings, we provide an important eth- ical perspective that must not be ig- nored in the rush to cut back the more visible costs of health care. We intend to maintain our strong ad- vocacy for these and other emer- gency patients within the context of the safety net role of the ED, while continuing to promote the impor- tance of EM research and education in an increasingly complex health care system.

........................................................ , .......... . ......,.....

Dr. Sklar is the President of the Society for Adademic Emergency Medicine.

Received: December 28, 1994; accepted: January 4. 1995.

Address for correspondence and reprints: Dwid P. Sklar. MD. The University of New Mexico. School of Medicine. Department of Emergency Medicine. Ambulatory Care Center. 4 West. Albuquerque, NM 87131- 5246.

Key words: emetgency medicine; medical ed- ucation; medical research; Society for A m demic Emergency Medicine.