ER Advice #2

5 Secrets for a Successful ER Visit

No one plans to spend the holidays in the emergency room. But should you end up there, you can get taken care of quickly if you know what to do.

BY MEGAN OTHERSEN GORMAN

Do yourself a favor...make sure she finds out everything she needs to know.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—It's a catch-22: You head to the ER when you need care immediately, yet an emergency room visit is typically anything but fast. In fact, wait times in emergency rooms across the country are rising as they're crowded with people without health insurance who are forced to use hospital facilities for nonemergent health concerns. That said, there are strategies that you can follow that not only speed up your emergency room visit, but also help you get better, more informed care while you're there. And with so many holiday safety hazards around, now's a good time to familiarize yourself with them.

Here are five ways to ensure you get the fastest, most informed ER care during an emergency room visit.

#1: Carry a card with all your relevant health info on it. In the event of an emergency-room visit, you can use your card to fully apprise the medical staff of your health status, and you won't have to worry about forgetting something during a stressful or upsetting time. Here's what Melissa Barton, MD, program director for the Wayne State University/Sinai-Grace Hospital emergency medicine residency program in Detroit and spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians, recommends including on that card: your current medical problems (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or sickle-cell anemia); any allergies; and any medications you're taking, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs as well as herbal supplements. That includes Viagra and other medications for erectile dysfunction. "Many times, men are embarrassed to mention these, especially if in front of people at a triage area," says Dr. Barton. "But not mentioning these medications could cause serious harm to the patient due to drug interactions."

Additional info to include: your doctor's name and telephone number, contact information for a closest relative or someone who can make decisions if you're unable to; and, if applicable, any religious affiliations that would prevent you from receiving blood products or other procedures even in an emergency situation.

# 2: Tell the triage personnel immediately if you have chest pain, difficulty breathing, have trouble seeing or talking and/or have weakness in an arm or leg. You need to be assessed ASAP, says Dr. Barton—not after the gunshot victim, but immediately. Be polite and specific in your descriptions of your symptoms, but also be persistent.

# 3: Be honest. An emergency-room visit is no time for coyness. "There's no reason to be embarrassed and trying to hide information may cause us to search for a problem that doesn't exist or miss something very important," says Dr. Barton. Believe it, the ER team has seen and heard it all, and they're not interested in passing judgment. "If you haven't been taking your blood pressure medicine, tell us," says Dr. Barton. "If you used illicit drugs just before you started having trouble breathing, tell us. Likewise, if you've had the problem before, tell us." Were you given a diagnosis? Did the treatment work or not work? Don't make the doctors start from scratch if you have any inkling as to what may be going on, or what may have contributed to your symptoms.

# 4: Bring an advocate. If possible, bring someone to the hospital with you who can advocate for your care, or call someone to come and be with you, says Carolyn Clancy, MD, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That person can bring full attention to bear not only on understanding what your doctors are telling you but also on making sure your case doesn't get lost in the shuffle. "There's a constant triage going on in the ER," says Dr. Clancy, "and occasionally, if you're very quiet, you get shunted to the back of the line." Your advocate can make sure you're not forgotten.

# 5: Ask about prescription costs. "One of the best ways to avoid a second time-consuming trip to the ER is to take your prescriptions as directed," says Dr. Barton. Have no prescription coverage? Tell your ER doctor. "There are nearly always cheaper, alternative medications that we can prescribe," says Dr. Barton. "I wouldn't spend $100 on a medication, nor would I expect you to." If you get to the pharmacy and your insurance will not cover the medicine, don't leave the pharmacy. Tell the pharmacist to call the ER while you wait and have your doctor change your prescription over the phone. "We don't want you to have to come back to the ER for failing to take your meds," adds Dr. Barton. "I'm sure you'll feel exactly the same way."

# 6: There are free clinics in most cities/counties. Ask the ER staff for referrals to free or discount clinics in your city or town. Many will only charge you based on your income, you might even get free care if you are desperate and simple fill out some forms showing your low income. The ER staff and free clinic staff dont care if you dont have money.....that see it ALL THE TIME. You are not the first one they seen with no cash and big health problems.....ASK THEM.