Create a Personal Health Record to Stay Safe in an Emergency

Imagine this:

You’re driving alone. It’s dark and raining. An animal runs out in front of you and you slam on the brakes to avoid it. You lose control of the vehicle and are knocked unconscious as it rolls off the side of the road and slides into a tree. A passing motorist notices your headlights and calls for help, but you’re still unconscious when the ambulance arrives. You have no medicine bottles in your purse and can’t tell them what health conditions you may have or what drugs you could be taking regularly. How do they treat you? And how do they notify your next of kin?

This scenario is extremely common, and people are constantly putting themselves at risk of being undertreated, overtreated, or inappropriately treated because medical personnel don’t know their medical history and don’t know who to contact.

Donna Mason is past president of the Emergency Nurses Association, and she was quoted in a recent CNN Health article as saying, “We don’t have a magic wand. We can’t see everything. When we do have the right information, it saves lives. I’ve seen it happen over and over again.”

She recommends carrying the following information on you at all times, ideally with your driver’s license:

• Name
• A list of your medical problems
• A list of your medications (including herbs and supplements)
• Name and phone number of your doctor
• Name and phone number of family or close friends
• Whether you wear contact lenses

Those who are organ donors or who have specific medical requests should also carry that information on them. For instance, I do not accept blood transfusions, so I carry a NO BLOOD card in my wallet along with important personal information and contact numbers for my family and close friends.

What will you note on your personal health record? Leave a comment.

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Tags: womens health, woman, health, advance medical directive, personal health information, emergency preparedness