An assessment of opinion of Indian physicians about emergency medicine in India.

ABSTRACT

Background. Emergency medicine (EM) has recently been recognized as a specialty in India and formal training programmes are yet to be developed. Methods. A survey was devised to elicit the opinion of recently graduated physicians in Chennai, India about EM as well as about the current state of EM in India. A convenience sample of 130 respondents filled out a 21-question survey. Results. Ninety-four per cent of respondents stated that EM was essential for providing quality healthcare; 94% of respondents felt there needs to be a change in emergency departments in India, with only 20% stating they were proud of the emergency departments in India. Seventy-six per cent of respondents were more likely to consider EM if the specialty was recognized by the Medical Council of India and 76% were inclined to pursue the specialty if there were more training programmes. Conclusion. Recently graduated physicians found flaws in the current state of emergency care in India; however, overall they remain interested in the field of EM.