Accidental Death and Disability:
The Neglected Disease of Modern Society,, more
commonly known as The White Paper, was an
influential report published in 1966 by the
National Academy of Sciences
that is considered a landmark in the development of
the emergency medical
services system in the United States
.
The National Academy of Sciences National Research Committee on
Trauma and
Shock, a federally-funded department of
the government, published the report of their research which
concluded, in part, that both the public and government were
"insensitive to the magnitude of the problem of accidental death
and injury" in the U.S.; that the standards to which
ambulance services were held were diverse and
"often low"; and that "most ambulances used in this country are
unsuitable, have incomplete … equipment, carry inadequate supplies,
and are manned by untrained attendants."
The report led to the design and implementation of the first
federally qualified
ambulance services and
personnel. The reforms inaugurated by the publication of "The White
Paper" led to higher quality care provided on-scene and in-transit
by trained
paramedics and
EMT.