Although a trip to the emergency room (ER) is not on anyone’s wish list, you can speed up the process and improve your chances of a rapid recovery by coming prepared with certain pieces of information readily available for the doctor.
Providing the physician with this information about your particular situation will go a long way to making every aspect of your ER trip as efficient and pleasant as possible.
Masud Habibullah M.D. serves as a hospitalist in Hardeeville and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He has assembled a list of the five primary things for you to ensure that you have with you when you go to the hospital.
Your List Of Medications
Emergency room procedures can be a matter of life and death, so it is imperative to know what medications you are currently on. If you are conscious throughout the ordeal, share this information with your paramedics, nurses and doctors immediately. In an alternative case that doesn’t allow you to fill the medical professionals in on your medication, a friend or family member can do a massive service by gathering the medicine and bringing it along for the paramedics or the triage nurse in the emergency room. Those initial moments in the emergency room are typically the most time sensitive.
Knowledge Of Your Medical problems
Similarly, Masud Habibullah M.D. explains that the doctor needs to understand what medical issues you have presently, or what you may have encountered recently. This will help avoid complications or delays during the initial procedure in the emergency room. Also, explain any allergies to medicines that you may have, as it will alert the doctor to what type of reactions you could encounter and what intervention methods should be utilized. Again, if you are unresponsive, a friend or family member can relay this information, contact your primary physician to have it forwarded or reach out to your pharmacy.
Documents Detailing Past Procedures
Documented history of your previous procedures and medical history should remain updated, in an easily accessible space. A patient that has been suffering from chronic health issues must ensure that this step is followed constantly, since it will be highly helpful for the paramedics or triage nurse in the emergency room. More information for the doctor to reference will only benefit your health and increase the likelihood of you leaving the emergency room sooner rather than later.
Any Records From Separate Hospitals
Other hospitals might possess critical information about your health history, making it essential for the emergency room staff to be notified of these notes, according to Masud Habibullah M.D. Perhaps there are specific entries into your portfolio that discuss potential complications or integral preventative measures that will keep you on the safe side. Whatever the case, an emergency room visit is all about supplying your paramedics, nurse and doctor with as much background information as possible.
Doctor Contacts
All of this information might not be instantly attainable for the emergency room staff, but that is where the local healthcare network plays a pivotal role. Our medical communities have tremendous access to information, which is why nurses and paramedics are constantly asking for a patient’s doctor’s name and contact number. Even if the patient’s regular doctor is unable to make an appearance at the hospital, the emergency room doctor can still uncover valuable information by communicating with the person’s everyday physician. Masud Habibullah M.D. concludes that the results of the diagnosis and the treatment information are later sent to the family physician for follow-up care and so that they are aware of the procedure that occurred.