|
|
 |
Emergency Medical Alert DevicesHost: Joyce Graffhttp://www.powerfulpatient.orgeditor@vhl.org 800-767-4845
Joyce talks with Ron Brouhard about how to get the right necessary medical information about yourself to emergency responders in the case of a medical emergency.
About our guest
Rod Brouhard is the Guide to First Aid at about.com, which is owned by the New York Times. He is a full-time paramedic, serving on an ambulance in Northern California. He writes a column for about.com, and articles for a number of magazines.
Rod helps us understand what information is really needed by an emergency worker in the field, where they are likely to look, and how to connect emergency workers and emergency room personnel with the key information from your medical history. Medical alert bracelets are still the most widely recognized device you can carry with you. There are techniques for using that bracelet to refer to more information when you reach the emergency room.
Rod has a very informative discussion of medical alert devices at http://firstaid.about.com/od/emergencypreparation/tp/informatics.htm “ Seven Ways to Organize Medical Information”
He advises working with your doctor to compile a one-page “history and physical assessment” to be passed to another medical professional. This is the normal quick handoff information that doctors routinely pass to one another, so it will make sense to your physician to compile such a document with two possible scenarios in mind:
For example, some first aid practices must be modified for patients of chronic medical conditions. Medications, blood clotting disorders, decreased pain tolerance, and chronic dehydration all complicate attempts to render first aid to those with chronic illness. See Rod’s article at:
The bracelet might refer people to a service, device, or file of information in your home. This gives you the opportunity to deposit additional information, which might include:
|
Listen 
