As an emergency physician working with Emergency Practice Associates, DocsWhoCare, Emergency Physicians of Eastern Nebraska and several other groups, Dr. Matthew Bogard provides patient care at hospitals across Iowa and Nebraska. In his diversity of experience, Dr. Matthew Bogard has gained a sense of how patients can prepare themselves for emergency care.
If you are caring for a loved one with a medical condition, you may need to take that person to the emergency room at some point. Because your loved one depends on you to advocate for him or her, you will need to have his or her medical information close at hand for whenever you need to make an emergency call.
Experts recommend making a list of the patient’s current diagnoses and any treatment plans he or she might be following. If the person takes medication, keep a list of each prescription, what the dosage is, and at what time it is taken. It is also helpful to write up a medical history, which includes allergies, recent surgeries and any ongoing needs, such as pacemakers.
Caregivers should also keep a list of all of the physicians the patient sees alongside insurance information and identification. The list should include the doctor’s contact information as well as why the patient sees him or her.
Finally, it can be useful to emergency room personnel if caregivers can describe the patient’s “normal” state of health and state of mind, which can help providers determine any abnormalities in the person’s symptoms or behavior. It can also be helpful when filling in information that the patient is unable or unwilling to offer to the doctor, so that your loved one can receive the most appropriate and complete care possible.
Matthew Bogard 
You must be logged in to post a comment.