You hope an accident or illness won't send you to an emergency department (ED). But being prepared for such an event can help you get good, timely, and safe care when the need arises.
Unfortunately, U.S. hospital EDs are severely overcrowded. In 2006, America's emergency rooms cared for 120 million patients, according to data from my agency, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). And—because the Nation's health care system still relies on largely paper-based medical records—chances are, if you land in the ED, the doctors won't have information about your medical history.
ED staff won't know what medicines you take or what medical problems you have unless you are able to tell them. Even if you are alert, you're likely to forget important information about your health, such as medicine allergies or your blood type.
Being prepared for a trip to the ED—whether because of an accident or illness—increases your chances of getting safe, high quality health care. It might even save you money, depending on your health plan's policy for ED visits. Know what your health plan policy is. Some health plans require that you get authorization for emergency care other than for life-threatening emergencies.
That's why it's important to have handy, updated, and thorough information at hand. Keeping your information either on paper or in an electronic form, like on your cell phone, may help you receive better, safer care in a medical emergency.
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