EMERGENCY-MEDICINE IN FRANCE

The Essonne region of France is situated to the south of Paris. A popu lation of more than 1 million, heavy commercial traffic, and industria l centers mandate first-rate prehospital and hospital emergency medici ne. Medical education in France comprises 3 years of basic medical sci ence, followed by 3 years of hospital rotations and a residency of var iable length. Emergency medicine is struggling for recognition as a sp ecialty. The ED at the hospital center in Corbeil-Essonnes, France, ha s 21,000 visits per year, accounting for 30% of hospital admissions. T he physical plant is modern and well-organized, with 13 beds. Attentio n is paid to quality improvement. Prehospital emergency care also rece ives due attention. A two-tiered system of BLS ambulances run by the f ire department and AIS ambulances run by hospitals provide 24-hour eme rgency coverage. Because of aggressive triage, only 65% of requests fo r service result in dispatch of an ambulance. Tasks for physicians inv olved in emergency medicine in France today include further developmen t of firemen's medical skills, development and use of telemedicine, an d accreditation of emergency medicine as a recognized specialty.