It’s important to be prepared before an emergency occurs. • Type out clear, precise directions to your home. That way, during a crisis, no one need rely on memory to give directions to the ambulance crew. Include the address, apartment number and phone number, and keep them next to every phone in your house. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the information is. If young children or someone elderly lives with you, use large-print letters. • Prepare emergency information sheets and keep them up to date. When an ambulance arrives, the crew will need to know the patient’s medical history. If you can hand the EMT (emergency medical technician) or paramedic a sheet with this essential information, you’ll avoid unnecessary delays. Frequently update emergency sheets on every family member and keep them in a central location that everyone is aware of. The sheets should have: • The person’s name, age and date of birth, insurance information and Social Security number. • Descriptions of any allergies or chronic illnesses, medical history (including the year of any operations, heart problems, etc.), plus doctors’ names and contact information. • Name and phone number of the nearest relative to contact in an emergency. • A precise list of all medications and other pills and vitamins (including the dosage and when they are taken). Keep extra copies so you can hand one to the admitting receptionist at the hospital and cut through paperwork and red tape. How to handle an emergency It is human nature to regard every illness or injury to yourself or your family as serious and requiring immediate attention. Yet, the reality is that every "crisis" is not life-threatening. Most true emergencies are limited to situations such as severe, uncontrollable bleeding; serious accidents; heart attack; poisoning; respiratory failure, etc. In the event of an emergency, call 911. For times when you feel an emergency situation exists, you may also attempt to reach your personal physician, or call the proper emergency service or facility for advice. Be sure to take all necessary insurance and personal information with you. Many records are necessary, and while they may seem unimportant at the time, these records may relieve later problems in payment and treatment. Emergency room delays Patients are usually seen in the order of the most critical need, and not necessarily in the order of their arrival. The medical staff may assign priority to each patient. Occasionally, there is a long wait, but usually there is a good reason. A patient may have an injury requiring the attention of several staff members, or a doctor may be called from the emergency room to another area of the hospital. Sometimes a specialist you need is not immediately available. Once you have been seen, it may result in another waiting period. This is usually because specific tests or x-rays have been ordered and the results have to be analyzed. When it’s not an emergency Remember, an emergency room is not an outpatient clinic. Nor is it a replacement for your family doctor. Don’t wait for several days with an ailment and then decide at midnight that it is time to go to the hospital for medication. Such visits are probably not emergencies, and many insurance companies may not pay for them. Since emergency rooms are expensive to equip and staff, the rates you pay for a non-emergency service will usually be much higher than if it were provided in a doctor’s office. Another point to consider in using emergency rooms is that the attending physician often knows nothing about your previous condition. That doctor may have to order several tests, x-rays, etc., to diagnose your problem. This practice is to protect you, the physician, and the hospital. It is expensive and time consuming. Obviously your personal physician knows your medical background and can often start the necessary treatment based on that knowledge. It is in your best interest to use your own doctor whenever and wherever possible. However, do not hesitate to use emergency services when the situation obviously calls for emergency measures.