The Institute of Medicine report on emergency medical services for children: thoughts for emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and emergency physicians.

The emergency medical technician, the paramedic, and the emergency physician, as well as emergency physicians who have additional expertise in emergency medical service (EMS) prehospital care or pediatric emergency medicine (through experience or formal fellowship training), will all find the Institute of Medicine's report, Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMS-C), to be an invaluable background resource as well as a guide for EMS system and EMS-C-related planning. With both breadth and depth, it reviews many of the issues in EMS-C today from many perspectives and provides practical information to enable these care givers to understand better the "big picture" of EMS-C as well as to assist them in continuing to make a difference in the day-to-day emergency care for children. It is well referenced, engenders respect for all members of the team within the broad continuum of EMS-C, and provides encouragement to them to work together to identify and address issues and solve problems to improve the quality of care for our nation's children.