Trauma care systems in China.

The prehospital emergency service is an integral and important part of the Emergency Medical Service System. In China, emergency service centres (stations) have been set up at the levels of province, prefecture and county. With the vast territory of China and the marked differences in economic power and size of cities, five different models of prehospital emergency service have been adopted: (1) independent emergency service centres, (2) mainly prehospital emergency services, without sickbeds, (3) prehospital emergency services, supported by a general hospital, (4) unified communications command centres with prehospital emergency-care to be handled by different hospitals, and (5) three-level emergency service networks in small cities.