Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.5
3.4
Journals
Healthcare
Special Issues
Challenges in Emergency Medicine
share announcement

Challenges in Emergency Medicine

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Care".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2026 | Viewed by 856

Editors

Dr. Hugon Možina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
2. Emergency Department, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Zaloška Cesta 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: emergency and critical care; sepsis; tissue oxygenation; PoCUS; palliative care
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Gregor Prosen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department for Emergency Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
2. Emergency Department, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
Interests: emergency medicine; PoCUS; palliative care
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on emergency medicine as a multidisciplinary field, addressing the assessment, management, and outcomes of acutely ill and injured patients with the aim of encompassing a broad spectrum of topics, including care of adult and pediatric patients in both in-hospital and prehospital settings (including helicopter emergency medical services), triage and the prioritization of care, patient flow and crowding management, interprofessional collaboration, and care of the critically ill. Additionally of interest are the following topics: resuscitation and post-resuscitation management, follow-up and outcome evaluation after resuscitation, education and training in basic life support for first responders and children, the education and training of young physicians in advanced life support and additional resuscitation procedures, the management of intoxications, emergency surgical and procedural interventions, care of frail and elderly patients, and preparedness and response to mass casualty incidents. In addition, this Special Issue seeks to address the organizational and system-level aspects of emergency care, including the structure and organization of emergency medical services and dispatch and communication systems. It also aims to highlight the role of digitalization and emerging technologies, financial and economic aspects, and the delivery of emergency care in remote and rural settings, including smaller, dislocated outpatient units. Diagnostic and procedural advances in emergency medicine, such as point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and point-of-care testing, will also be covered.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in JCM.

Dr. Hugon Možina
Dr. Gregor Prosen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • in-hospital and prehospital care
  • care of the critically ill
  • resuscitation and post-resuscitation management
  • point-of-care ultrasound
  • emergency surgical and procedural interventions
  • digitalization and emerging technologies
  • emergency medicine

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 5409 KB  
Article
Modeling and Forecasting the Operation of the Emergency Medical Care System in the Republic of Kazakhstan
by Gulnara Batenova, Diana Ygiyeva, Zhanar Urazalina, Andrey Orekhov, Akbayan Markabayeva, Maksim Pivin, Adilzhan Zhumagaliyev and Lyudmila Pivina
Healthcare 2026, 14(16), 2540; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14162540 - 14 Aug 2026
Viewed by 51
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Emergency medical care is a critical component of the healthcare system. The aim of the study was to forecast the number of general practitioner and paramedic teams, the number of ambulance stations, and the number of calls per 1000 population in Kazakhstan [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Emergency medical care is a critical component of the healthcare system. The aim of the study was to forecast the number of general practitioner and paramedic teams, the number of ambulance stations, and the number of calls per 1000 population in Kazakhstan until 2030. Methods: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal ecological time-series study of the staffing and structure of the emergency medical service in Kazakhstan for 2000–2023. Data were provided by emergency medical stations in 16 regions of Kazakhstan. We also used data from the statistical digest “Health of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Activities of Healthcare Organizations”. Results: A progressive decrease in the absolute number of emergency medical system (EMS) stations by an average of 4.19% (95% CI: [−5.00%, −3.37%]) was found. In the period from 2000 to 2023, a relative average annual decrease was found in the number of medical teams by 7.94% [CI −10.14%, 5.69%] and pediatric teams by 7.73% [CI −10.36%, 5.02%]. An analysis showed an average annual growth rate of paramedic teams of 1.62% [CI 0.19%, 3.46%]. The construction of a predictive model for the number of medical and pediatric teams and EMS stations in the country for the coming years demonstrates a further gradual decrease in their number. Conclusions: A predictive model for the number of physician teams predicts a further decline through 2030, while the forecast for the number of paramedic teams remains relatively stable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Emergency Medicine)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 237 KB  
Article
Preservation of Basic Life Support Competencies Among Certified First Responders
by Igor Goričan, Andrej Šorgo and Matej Strnad
Healthcare 2026, 14(12), 1654; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14121654 - 11 Jun 2026
Viewed by 335
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Slovenia, like many other European nations, has introduced voluntary first responders to enhance survival rates in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. In currently published research, no conclusive data exists on the optimal retraining interval, categorizing recommendations as expert opinion with limited reliability. [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Slovenia, like many other European nations, has introduced voluntary first responders to enhance survival rates in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. In currently published research, no conclusive data exists on the optimal retraining interval, categorizing recommendations as expert opinion with limited reliability. Materials and Methods: Between 2019 and 2024, observational longitudinal research and a cross-sectional comparison was conducted in accordance with national guidelines on Slovenian newly certified (N = 342; 227 males, 112 females and three participants with missing or undetermined gender; mean age, 31.3 ± 12.2 years) and senior (N = 140; 105 males, 35 females; mean age, 38.0 ± 11.9 years) licensed first responders (LFRs) with 5–10 years of experience (median = 6.5, IQR 6–7). LFRs were reassessed for retention of skills and knowledge one year after previous certification. Additionally, each cohort was classified into groups according to the number of interventions they engaged in over the past year, and their retention of skills and knowledge was assessed. Results: During the initial year of service, no statistically significant decline in practical skills (median 53 [52–54] vs. 53 [50–54]; p = 0.059) or theoretical knowledge (median 10 [9–10] vs. 9 [9–10]; p = 0.458) was observed among newly certified LFRs. In contrast, senior LFRs demonstrated significantly lower practical skill scores prior to recertification compared with newly certified LFRs (median 51 [49–54] vs. 54 [52–55]; p < 0.001), whereas theoretical knowledge remained stable (median 9 [8.5–10] vs. 10 [9–10]; p = 0.091). Intervention frequency did not affect skill or knowledge retention among newly certified LFRs. However, senior LFRs who did not participate in any interventions during the certification period demonstrated significantly lower practical skill scores comparable to newly certified LFRs (median 49 [47–51] vs. 54 [52–55]; p < 0.001), whereas those who participated in at least one intervention showed no significantly lower scores (median 52 [50–54] vs. 54 [52–55]; p = 0.117). No significant reduction in theoretical knowledge was observed. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that participation in at least one intervention significantly predicted higher practical skill scores among senior LFRs (β = −1.11, p = 0.001), whereas no significant association was observed for theoretical knowledge retention or among newly certified LFRs. Conclusions: The initial training for Slovenian LFRs was found to be adequate. However, senior LFRs who did not participate in interventions demonstrated lower practical skill performance compared with newly certified LFRs. Further evaluation and different strategies for recertifying senior LFRs should be adopted, considering the number of interventions they have been involved in after last certification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Emergency Medicine)

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 363 KB  
Review
Manchester Triage System: Effectiveness, Limitations, and Global Implementation—A Structured Narrative Review
by Jerica Zaloznik Djordjevic, Zvonka Fekonja and Matej Strnad
Healthcare 2026, 14(16), 2502; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14162502 - 12 Aug 2026
Viewed by 97
Abstract
Background: The Manchester Triage System (MTS) is one of the most widely used emergency department (ED) triage tools worldwide, aiming to standardize patient prioritization through structured flowcharts and discriminators. Despite its broad adoption, concerns remain regarding its reliability, adaptability, and performance across diverse [...] Read more.
Background: The Manchester Triage System (MTS) is one of the most widely used emergency department (ED) triage tools worldwide, aiming to standardize patient prioritization through structured flowcharts and discriminators. Despite its broad adoption, concerns remain regarding its reliability, adaptability, and performance across diverse clinical and operational contexts. Objective: This narrative review aimed to identify and narratively synthesize evidence on the validity, reliability, and contextual performance of the MTS, with particular attention to inter-rater variability, cultural and linguistic adaptation, and operational limitations in real-world ED settings. Methods: A structured literature search was conducted across four databases from inception to January 2026 and analyzed according to the methodological recommendations for narrative biomedical reviews proposed by Gasparyan et al. to identify studies assessing the performance, implementation, and limitations of the MTS across different healthcare systems. Included studies were analyzed qualitatively, focusing on outcome measures related to accuracy, consistency, and contextual applicability. Results: The reviewed evidence supports the MTS’s ability to identify high-acuity patients; however, considerable variability in reliability and performance was observed across settings. Subjectivity in symptom interpretation and discriminator selection, challenges in non-English-speaking environments, and the lack of integration of operational factors, such as ED crowding and staffing levels, were recurrent findings. Conclusions: While the MTS remains a cornerstone of emergency triage, its effectiveness is influenced by human, cultural, and system-level factors. Future research should explore complementary strategies, including enhanced training, local adaptation, point-of-care testing, and artificial intelligence-based decision support, to improve triage consistency and patient outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Emergency Medicine)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop