What does an Emergency Medicine Physician do?

According to people in this career, the main tasks are...

TaskImportance
Select, request, perform, or interpret diagnostic procedures, such as laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, emergency ultrasounds, and radiographs.
100%
Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs and priority of treatment.
100%
Perform emergency resuscitations on patients.
100%
Stabilize patients in critical condition.
100%
Perform such medical procedures as emergent cricothyrotomy, endotracheal intubation, and emergency thoracotomy.
100%
Analyze records, examination information, or test results to diagnose medical conditions.
98%
Consult with hospitalists and other professionals, such as social workers, regarding patients' hospital admission, continued observation, transition of care, or discharge.
97%
Conduct primary patient assessments that include information from prior medical care.
96%
Communicate likely outcomes of medical diseases or traumatic conditions to patients or their representatives.
96%
Monitor patients' conditions, and reevaluate treatments, as necessary.
96%
Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, assistants, specialists, residents, and other medical staff.
94%
Select and prescribe medications to address patient needs.
94%
Collect and record patient information, such as medical history or examination results, in electronic or handwritten medical records.
91%
Discuss patients' treatment plans with physicians and other medical professionals.
89%
Identify factors that may affect patient management, such as age, gender, barriers to communication, and underlying disease.
89%
Assess patients' pain levels or sedation requirements.
88%
Refer patients to specialists or other practitioners.
87%