For some people, making trips to the hospital emergency room (ER) is common. Others make few, if any, trips to the ER. No matter how often someone goes, trips to the ER are stressful. Planning ahead can help reduce stress and save valuable time. This section provides additional information that is specific to preparing for an ER visit. In addition to the information in this section, see also the Emergency Management Be Prepared Kit section for more information about preparing for all types of emergencies.
Plan ahead
The following tips can help you prepare for a trip to the emergency room.
- Ask the doctors and specialists what you should do if you have an emergency. Usually, the pediatrician or family doctor should be contacted first. The specialists should be contacted either after the pediatrician or family doctor has been consulted or if the emergency has to do with a specific problem in the doctor's specialty. An example would be contacting the neurologist because of an uncontrolled seizure, but a high fever would be reported to the pediatrician or family doctor.
- Have an "Emergency Bag of Supplies" ready at all times (see the Emergency Management Be Prepared Kit section for what to have in an Emergency Bag).
- Bring all insurance and other medical coverage cards with you.
- Bring your medical history summary. Here is an example of a form that you can download and use: Patient Health and History Form (PDF file). See also Resources for Writing Your Medical History.
- Have a plan for what to do with other family members, such as children. If they are not old enough to stay by their self, make a list of neighbors or relatives that could help at a moment's notice.
- Keep a daily journal of the person's health progress or concerns. This is helpful if you are in an emergency situation and the hospital personnel want to know what the person's behavior and health has been like just prior to the illness or accident. It doesn't have to be detailed — just enough to jog your memory of what has been going on lately.
- Discuss hard decisions in advance. Talk to other family members about what you would want to do if a life-threatening situation happens. Make the hard decisions, such as whether to use life-sustaining equipment, before the situation happens. Have your wishes legally documented, such as in a Living Will or Advance Directive.
Emergency Room or Urgent Care?
Before leaving your home, decide whether you should go to the ER or an urgent care center. If you are not sure what you should do, contact the person's pediatrician or family doctor. Generally, the ER should only be used for sudden serious problems or for life-threatening situations, such as a sudden loss of breath, severe bleeding, uncontrolled seizures, broken bones, or chest pain. If the situation appears to be life threatening, call 911.
An urgent care medical need is any problem that you feel requires care within several hours but is not life threatening. Examples include a persistent high fever, vomiting, a severe ear infection or sore throat, or a sudden rash. Many hospitals
offer urgent care services in addition to their ER services. The urgent care center is usually located in a different area than
the ER of the hospital or at outpatient facilities throughout the city. Contact your local hospital to check for availability in your area.
Going to the ER
Call your doctor before leaving — the doctor can help you determine whether to go to the ER or an urgent care center. If you will be going to the ER, have the doctor call ahead to let the ER know you are on the way. This is known as a "physician referral" and allows you to get through the registration process more quickly than if you were a walk-in to the ER.
Remember to bring a list of medications and the medical history of the person, and make sure you have all pertinent insurance and other medical coverage information with you. For children, take a favorite toy for your he or she to feel comforted with.
At the Emergency Room
Once at the ER, here are some of the things that may happen or that you can do.
- State the main problem first, then describe all the symptoms and events that led to the ER visit. Be specific and honest.
- An ER uses a system of triage that enables the hospital to treat the most critically ill or seriously injured first. If your condition is not life-threatening, you will probably have a longer wait than other patients.
- A resident doctor or intern will often be the main doctor that you communicate with. If you do not feel comfortable with their knowledge level or their understanding of your disability as it relates to the ER visit, ask to speak to the attending physician.
- Ask questions and explain your expectations clearly to the ER personnel. Be your own advocate for medical care.
- If the visit is for your child, try to remain calm. Children easily pick up on their parents actions and can sense if the parents are worried or nervous.
- If the visit is for your child, to the best of your ability explain to your child what is happening and what they can expect.
- Most ER units have "stress toys" for children who are waiting for the doctor or for tests to be done. Ask if your child can choose a stress toy to play with while you wait.
- Each hospital should have a Patient's Rights policy posted. If you feel your rights are being violated, ask to see
the policy and the attending physician.
Before Leaving the Emergency Room
Ask questions and make sure that you fully understand the procedures that were done and the discharge instructions. You should
receive a discharge sheet with all of this information on the form. Make sure that the ER physician will be contacting your primary care doctor, either by calling the doctor or by mailing a report of the visit. If the ER physician wants to release you, but you are not comfortable with that decision, ask to have your primary doctor contacted so that you can express your concerns to him or her.
If you are admitted to the hospital, verify that your insurance company has been contacted.
Follow-up after the Emergency Room Visit
After your ER visit, be sure to follow the instructions that were given to you on your discharge sheet. Follow-up with your primary care doctor or pertinent specialist the following day of the ER visit. If necessary, contact your insurance company to report the ER visit. Some insurance companies require this in order to receive benefits. If you have a case manager for any type of service, inform them of the ER visit so that it can be documented in their records.
The following are links to other resources and organizations that may be of assistance to people with disabilities. The Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS) attempts to verify that the links referenced are helpful for people with disabilities and their families. However, OLRS does not guarantee that the information provided within the destination link is accurate or right for the particular needs of the person. Once you follow a link away from the OLRS Web site, refer to that site's privacy policy and disclaimer statements.
Some links in this section are to documents created in Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF). To view and print PDF documents, you need to have Adobe® Reader®, a free software program, installed on your computer. Download Adobe® Reader®
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