Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41182684›Full record

ArticleCJEM2026

Defining emergency physicians' consultative roles in emergency care: a scoping review.

Joshua Cunningham, Niklas Bobrovitz, Ajaykumar Shanmugaraj, Dean Giustini, Dylan Collins

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in CJEM, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Joshua CunninghamFaculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Niklas BobrovitzDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Ajaykumar ShanmugarajFaculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Dean GiustiniFaculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Dylan CollinsDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. drjc.ubc@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-5939-2163

Funding

University of British Columbia Department of Emergency Medicine
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesEmergency physicians have a core professional responsibility to provide expert consultative advice regarding emergency medical care, but it is unclear how their consultative role manifests in health systems and whether there is potential to expand those capacities. The purpose of this study is to identify, clarify, and map key concepts related to emergency physicians acting as consultants within health systems.

methodsThis scoping review searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, and grey literature. No date restrictions were used and only articles in English were included. Two authors conducted screening of titles and abstracts followed by full texts independently and in duplicate. Data were narratively synthesized.

resultsWe screened 8744 articles and included 67 articles which included data from 15 countries and were published between 1974 and 2023. Emergency physicians were reported to assume three main consulting roles: (1) real-time support to other clinicians providing emergency care, (2) rapid critical medical response, and (3) response to direct referrals. The most common consultation modes were via telemedicine (56 studies), activation of hospital protocols (6 studies), and referrals to the emergency department (six studies). Few studies contextualized these roles in relation to health systems or access to emergency care.

conclusionsEmergency physicians assume multiple consultative roles within health systems. We define "consultative emergency medicine" as a core competency of emergency physicians focused on the provision of advice to other care providers on individual patient care or health services for conditions that require rapid intervention to avert death or disability, or for which delays of minutes to hours render care less effective (i.e. emergency care). As emergency care develops globally, advancing "consultative emergency medicine" may be a tool to expand emergency care expertise to other providers requesting assistance with emergency care.

Indexed as

Emergency Medical ServicesEmergency MedicineEmergency Service, HospitalPhysician's RoleReferral and ConsultationHumansConsultantsEmergency hospital servicesEmergency medical servicesHealth care systemsHospitalsReferral and consultations

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.