International emergency medicine continues to grow and expand. There are now more than 30 countries that recognize emergency medicine as a specialty. As the field continues to develop, many physicians are reaching across borders and working with their colleagues to improve patient care, education, and research. The future growth and success of the specialty are based on several key components. These include faculty development (because this is the key driver of education), research, and curriculum development.Each country knows what resources it has and how best to utilize them. Countries that are developing the specialty can seek consultation from successful countries and develop their academic and community practice of emergency medicine. There are many resources available to these countries, including distance learning and access to medical journals via the Internet; international exchanges by faculty, residents, and medical students; and physicians who are in fellowship training programs. International research efforts require more support and effort to be successful. This report discusses some of the advantages and hurdles to such research efforts. Physicians have a responsibility to help one another succeed. It is the hope of the authors that many more emergency physicians will lend their skills to further global development of the specialty.

International emergency medicine continues to grow and expand. There are now more than 30 countries that recognize emergency medicine as a specialty. As the field continues to develop, many physicians are reaching across borders and working with their colleagues to improve patient care, education, and research. The future growth and success of the specialty are based on several key components. These include faculty development (because this is the key driver of education), research, and curriculum development.Each country knows what resources it has and how best to utilize them. Countries that are developing the specialty can seek consultation from successful countries and develop their academic and community practice of emergency medicine. There are many resources available to these countries, including distance learning and access to medical journals via the Internet; international exchanges by faculty, residents, and medical students; and physicians who are in fellowship training programs. International research efforts require more support and effort to be successful. This report discusses some of the advantages and hurdles to such research efforts. Physicians have a responsibility to help one another succeed. It is the hope of the authors that many more emergency physicians will lend their skills to further global development of the specialty.

No abstract

When asked about cultural sensitivity, well-meaning, highly educated, and competent physicians admit that while they desire to be culturally sensitive, it is not usually a conscious element of their professional interactions. When it is conscious, they sometimes feel at a disadvantage in their knowledge base or experience. Often physicians are familiar with certain cultural practices but do not know what those practices represent in the lives of their patients; how they produce, exacerbate, or ameliorate illness; and how to function in the patient's best interest within this milieu. In acute clinical encounters, language discordance is by far the most obvious cultural obstacle to providing care. However, increasing exposure to cultural minority populations demonstrates that beyond language, a host of other factors contribute in both obvious and subtle ways to suboptimal care. This report explores some of the challenges faced by immigrant patients and their treating physicians during clinical encounters. It examines the roots of miscommunication and dissatisfaction stemming from cultural differences and expectations and suggests ways to minimize their negative effects.

When asked about cultural sensitivity, well-meaning, highly educated, and competent physicians admit that while they desire to be culturally sensitive, it is not usually a conscious element of their professional interactions. When it is conscious, they sometimes feel at a disadvantage in their knowledge base or experience. Often physicians are familiar with certain cultural practices but do not know what those practices represent in the lives of their patients; how they produce, exacerbate, or ameliorate illness; and how to function in the patient's best interest within this milieu. In acute clinical encounters, language discordance is by far the most obvious cultural obstacle to providing care. However, increasing exposure to cultural minority populations demonstrates that beyond language, a host of other factors contribute in both obvious and subtle ways to suboptimal care. This report explores some of the challenges faced by immigrant patients and their treating physicians during clinical encounters. It examines the roots of miscommunication and dissatisfaction stemming from cultural differences and expectations and suggests ways to minimize their negative effects.