Abstract

Abstract -- As the corrosion of a societal safety net progresses in the era of social welfare reform, there are few institutions that can still guarantee assistance to those in need. Emergency departments (EDs) in the hospitals are perhaps the only local institution where professional help is mandated by law, with guaranteed availability for all persons, all the time (including mass casualty incidents (MCIs) and disasters), regardless of the problem. Although the ED serves as a true social safety net, its potential as a social welfare institution generally goes underestimated, hampering its full development as an effective societal resource. More disadvantages may go through the ED than through any other community institution, making it logically a role not only for the treatment of acute illness, but also for the identification of basic social needs and the extension of existing community resources. It is especially true after the public health insurance has been implemented in Taiwan. By aiding completely incorporate the ED into the total care system, emergency physicians can become key persons in the design and implementation of integrated sociomedical systems of care. No matter what kind of insurance system has been adopted, the government should establish a good policy to back up the work of ED at any time.