Statement Type

Dear Governor, The American Academy of Emergency Medicine represents over 8000 emergency physicians and emergency medicine residents across America, and is the only professional society for the doctors who staff our nation’s emergency departments that restricts membership to board-certified specialists in the field. These dedicated physicians are on the front line of the COVID-19 epidemic, […]

According to public statements, TeamHealth and PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center have terminated Dr. Ming Lin. If this is so, AAEM condemns TeamHealth and PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center for terminating Dr. Ming Lin an emergency physician who went public with his concerns over the safety of the hospital staff and his patients in this […]

Emergency physicians and other frontline clinicians are facing shortages of adequate PPE around the country amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.1 In response, they are addressing this through non-traditional means by self-supplying industrial devices meeting NIOSH standards. Unfortunately, there are numerous reports of hospital systems and administrators forbidding, shaming, and threatening physicians who elect to use a […]

AAEM Signs on to Joint Statements Regarding COVID-19

To our fellow citizens, friends, and families, We are faced today with a health care crisis the likes of which we’ve never before encountered. This rapidly spreading pandemic will require everyone to do their part to slow and eventually stop its spread. Everything turns on our willingness to work together toward this solidarity of purpose: […]

Many frontline healthcare workers are being appropriately asked to self-quarantine at home after potential exposures. While employees often have vacation or sick leave time, independent contractors do not. Given the personal risk frontline healthcare workers are taking to help fight this pandemic, AAEM calls on Contract Management Groups, hospitals, universities, or other entities who contract […]

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians are being asked to make difficult clinical decisions with limited resources. Patient care decisions that may be best for an individual patient may not be feasible or appropriate when viewed in context of the entire population. On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a nationwide emergency pursuant to […]

AAEM believes that emergency physicians are entitled to wear self-supplied PPE including respirators that meet NIOSH standards when, in their medical opinion, hospital or healthcare facility supplied PPE is inadequate. AAEM will offer support to any emergency physician threatened or terminated for attempting to protect themselves and their patients in this manner. This includes assistance […]

Adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) AAEM supports the right of all physicians, nurses, physician assistants and first responders providing direct care to patients potentially infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to be provided with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). We applaud the acts of those on the national and state level who have declared emergencies. […]

Dear Chairman Simons: This letter is sent in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) January 9, 2020 workshop concerning Non-Competes in the Workplace. The American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) welcomes any relief the FTC may bring to the unfair use of non-compete clauses in the employment contracts of practicing emergency physicians.

The American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) and the AAEM Resident and Student Association (AAEM/RSA) are aware that academic and other emergency departments sponsor additional training for non-physician practitioners (NPP), including physician assistants (PA) and nurse practitioners (NP). We believe the following is in the best interest of the patient and our specialty. Such programs: […]

The American Academy of Emergency Medicine is expressing it concerns over the recent firing of 15 physicians from the urgent care centers operated by Edward-Elmhurst Health in Chicago. The Academy represents board-certified emergency physicians, some of whom practice in urgent care settings, and most of whom receive patients sent from urgent care centers when their […]

Reviewed and approved by the AAEM Board of Directors. (10/7/2019) Recommendations: Introduction: Use of Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW) such as the TASER includes delivery of a series of brief electrical pulses, which result in painful muscular contractions. The pulses may be delivered via three possible mechanisms. The delivery may be via a pair of metal […]

Over 2 million Americans misuse prescription or illicitly-obtained opioids, and opioid overdose deaths rose to a record 47,600 in 2017, representing a nearly 600% increase in 18 years. (NCHS 2019, NIH 2019) Because patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) are often socioeconomically and functionally marginalized, the primary point of contact with healthcare for many is […]

Position Any regulations or laws that restrict out-of-network fees and balance billing from the emergency department should provide that insurers reimburse emergency physicians for their professional services at rates consistent with “usual and customary charges.” The “usual and customary charge” for a service should be defined using a source of unbiased, third party data such […]

The role of the freestanding emergency department is to serve the community and to provide surge protection in the event of a natural disaster. That being said, the freestanding emergency center should only stay open IF POSSIBLE. This decision should be made based on a predetermined disaster plan which should include the following points: Each […]

Parenteral opioids are the most common analgesics used in the emergency department (ED) for relief of acute pain. Gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea and vomiting are common following opioid analgesia in long-term therapy for malignant and chronic pain and are considered a limiting factor in effective pain therapy.1 Despite the lack of clear and […]

Reviewed and approved by the AAEM Board of Directors. (6/7/2019) IntroductionPatients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain and concern for appendicitis typically require diagnostic imaging to confirm the diagnosis. Computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US) are the imaging modalities that can be used to diagnosis appendicitis. For non-pregnant […]

AAEM is concerned with the rapid growth in the emergency medicine workforce, fueled by the accelerating growth in emergency medicine residencies, as well as the increasing number of advanced practice providers. AAEM notes that the historic emergency physician shortage is rapidly resolving, and if current trends continue, an oversupply of emergency physicians is likely to develop, […]

Introduction:The concept of sepsis has recently been redefined by an International Task Force. The task force recommended the use of the qSOFA score instead of SIRS criteria to identify patients at high risk of mortality from sepsis outside of the ICU, including in Emergency Departments. However, there are concerns from ED clinicians using qSOFA in […]

The American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) believes that emergency department (ED) patients should have timely and unencumbered access to the most appropriate care led by a board certified emergency physician (ABEM or AOBEM). AAEM and AAEM/RSA oppose the expansion of scope of practice regulations at the state and federal level, and do not support […]

Reviewed and approved by the AAEM Board of Directors (11/28/2018) IntroductionPulmonary embolism (PE) remains a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality1 resulting in an estimated 150,000 deaths annually2 in the United States. With a 3-month mortality rate of 9-15%,3,4 PE presents an important clinical problem. Until recently, there has been little change in the treatment options […]

Reviewed and approved by the AAEM Board of Directors (11/28/2018) Introduction Current emergency department (ED) management of sepsis includes serial measurements of serum lactate. Since the initial publication of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines and the landmark study by Rivers and colleagues in 2001, numerous lactate measurement strategies have been introduced, including lactate clearance and […]

AAEM endorses the following points regarding inquiries about diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders in connection with professional licensing and credentialing: AAEM believes that state licensing boards and credentialing organizations should require physicians to disclose mental disorders only when the disorder currently impairs their judgment or ability to practice. AAEM believes that state licensing boards […]

Emergency departments utilizing a “provider in triage” model should: Ensure that providers have an opportunity to perform an appropriate history and physical prior to ordering diagnostic testing; Conduct appropriate reviews to verify that over-testing is not occurring from triage based providers; Provide advance practice providers with supervision and support by board certified emergency physicians. Approved […]