In Time Of Emergency, Let Your Personal Health Profile Speak For You

Oftentimes we have more than one doctor because medicine is a specialized field. So in addition to the primary care physician, one might have a gynecologist or any other specialist. If for example, I have a primary care physician and a dermatologist and both doctors have different offices, then it is not possible to have my personal health profile in a single location and easily accessible to the health care personnel involved in my care? Which of the two doctors do you think would have my comprehensive health profile? None of them would because there is no communication between both doctors. Each would give me a record that is consistent with the care they specifically provided. So, If I needed my comprehensive personal health profile, would I get it in a format that will be readily accessible? In times of an emergency, when no family member is available, or when I am unable to communicate any personal medical information to the emergency res ponders, what happens? Medical intervention is delayed because of lack of information. This can happen to you. This can happen to anyone. It becomes paramount, therefore to think of a way of storing personal health information that can be imputed and updated by the individual, in a format that is easily accessible. Nine years ago, I almost lost my precious mother because of unavailable medical record at the time of an emergency.

Personal Health Information

It was a bright sunny day in June of 2009. My mother had come to pick me up from my job. One look at her face told me something was very wrong. She whispered as she told me to get into the car. Quietly, I sat down wishing she would tell me what was wrong. My mom is very aristocratic. You cannot initiate a conversation and you cannot speak without being asked a question. But today I decided to break all the rules because she was groaning under her breath trying to hide her pain. Then I noticed that instead of driving home, she was parking at the entrance of the hospital. She came out of the car and collapsed. I flew out of the car screaming for help. She was wheeled into the hospital and admitted to the Medical and Surgical unit. I watched as the nurses went in and out doing one thing or the other for my mom.  Finally, the doctor came in and without touching my mom, wrote something on my mom’s chart and left. Ten minutes later, a nurse came in and hung an Intravenous(IV) medication. They all pretended I was invisible. When she left, I got up and read the label on the IV bag. It was penicillin.

Personal Health History

 My Mom is allergic to penicillin. I held my mom’s hand trying to convey my presence. She was still unconscious. Then I noticed her face looked fat. Then almost immediately, I heard a whistling sound. My mom was whistling under her breath. “That’s new”, I said to myself, mom never whistled. I went to the nurse that hung the IV and said, “I think my mom is trying to wake up, she is whistling, and she is allergic to penicillin”. She flew out of her chair, went into my mom’s room and started paging the doctor. More nurses came running in and out of my mom’s room. My mom was having a severe allergic reaction to Penicillin.  It took a biology class in college for me to realize my mom could have died that day. I still shudder to think about the incidence. The hospital staff did not know my mom was allergic to penicillin because she was a new member. Her personal health profile was never transferred from all the other hospitals she had used prior to this day and no one remembered to ask me if she had an allergy.  What about you? Do you have your personal health profile in a readily accessible format that will help reduce errors and delays in emergency response times?

Personal Health Profile Storage

 As we store important family pictures digitally, we need to think of storing our health information where the emergency response team can get your health information. Where and how is your Personal Health Profile (PHP) or information stored? Who answers any health questions for you when the family is unavailable? Where can your Health information be quickly assessed? This is a clarion call. It is time to think about where to store your health information before an emergency occurs. This device will help reduce response delays. Your very own PHP must have information from all your doctors. revealing all your health-related details. It could consist of any type of information that you believe may impact your health and wellness. It could consist of information that your physician might not have, such as your workout regimens, nutritional practices, or sugar degrees if you are a diabetic person.

Furthermore, the PHP is a vital device that allows you to collaborate with your medical carriers. It could minimize or remove replicate treatments or procedures, which would reduce cost in treatment. For more information on storing your Personal Health information in a format that is easily accessible, call today at 209.663.3678.