[Prevention in Emergency Medicine]

Emergency medical services and emergency departments face rising demand, population ageing and limited alternatives to hospital-based acute care. Prevention is therefore relevant across the emergency care pathway. This narrative review outlines primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary prevention in emergency medicine. Primary prevention includes health literacy, first-aid and resuscitation training, and targeted support for vulnerable groups. Secondary prevention focuses on early recognition, structured emergency call triage and referral to appropriate services. Tertiary prevention aims to prevent recurrent emergencies and avoidable hospital admissions through coordinated follow-up, planned home visits and case management. Quaternary prevention seeks to avoid overdiagnosis, overtreatment and non-beneficial transport through appropriate on-scene assessment, advance care planning and palliative care. Preventive approaches can improve care navigation, reduce avoidable emergency contacts and support patient-centred care. Their implementation requires clear legal responsibilities, sustainable funding and close collaboration between emergency medical services, primary care, nursing, hospitals and social services. Workforce health and training should be part of a preventive emergency care strategy.