EMERGENCY MEDICAL RECORDS

Much has been said about the importance of keeping your own copy of your loved one’s medical records, and how to go about organizing them.

However, in an emergency situation, you may not be easily reached or may not have your files available. It is therefore very important to give your emergency contact an updated copy of the patient’s most important information, so that they can forward it to Emergency Services if needed. This abridged list should be updated whenever there are changes, or every few months.

At the minimum, this copy should include the following:

• Patient’s full name
• Date of birth
• All doctors names, specialties, and phone numbers
• Any allergies
• All diagnoses
• Past surgeries
• All medications and supplements—including natural—with their dosages
• A few words describing the patient’s usual medical condition.
• A note about any bad reactions to medications or anesthesia
• Medical insurance information
• Signed permission for your emergency contact to make medical decisions in event that you cannot be reached.
• Phone number of nursing agency if applicable

Taking the time to prepare this important document may make a difference when every minute counts! It will also help prevent serious medical errors and dangerous drug interactions.