Email a Friend
Print ArticleInformation and Resources
This article is from the WebMD News Archive
Katrina Shows Need for Electronic Health Records
Sept. 21, 2005 -- After Hurricane Katrina pounded the Gulf Coast nearly a month ago, most of the 1 million people displaced by the storm were left with no medical records -- making it difficult, if not impossible, for doctors working in disaster medical centers and community hospitals to treat them.
Urologist Neil Baum, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Tulane University School of Medical in New Orleans, is one of the lucky ones and even more to the point, so are his patients.
After the storm, Baum temporarily relocated to Austin, Texas, to treat his own, now displaced, patients. "I had access to some of my patients' records over the Internet and that made communicating much easier," he tells WebMD. "I was able to get lab reports, X-rays and pathology reports and it made coordinating care in the patients' new cities much easier," he says.
Unlike other physicians, Baum didn't have to go from memory or contact labs by phone, which can be arduous and difficult. "I saw other doctors and patients struggling and getting very frustrated," he recalls.
"I am convinced now more than ever that patients should have portable access to medical records," he says. There are many ways that this can be accomplished, he says, including on a , a CD ROM, paper format, or over the Internet.
"If the displaced patients left with their records in an electronic format, there would have been better continuity of care and fewer mistakes would be made," he says.
Do-It-Yourself Medical Records on the Go
But no one has to wait for a "universal" system to be developed and approved. A little low-tech preparation today can stave off medical mistakes and ensure that you get the best care possible if, like the Hurricane Katrina victims, you have to go to a shelter, a hotel, or stay with a friend for a long period of time.
"People need to be cognizant that their personal health information is the most important information and they need to take responsibility for their health because these records may not be available to them when they need it most," stresses Marie Savard, MD, a clinical associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and author of How to Save Your Own Life.
Pocket-Sized, Up-to-date Medication List Is Key
Along with a valid insurance card, "the most important, nonnegotiable thing that everyone should have with them at all times is a list of the medications that they take," Savard tells WebMD. "This tells a doctor more about your health and health conditions than anything," she says. In your wallet, keep a complete up-to-date list of the doses and directions of all medications that you currently take including vitamins, herbs, and over-the-counter medications. "Everything counts," Savard stresses. "This list will avoid duplication of drugs and side effect issues in an emergency situation."
But that's not all you should keep in your wallet. "Information about your allergies is also critical," she says. "If you are not allergic to anything, write that down, too." This can be clearly written on the same paper where you list medications. Also "list the name and information about who to contact during an emergency on this piece of paper," she says. Immunization records for flu, pneumonia, and tetanus should also be noted as these can be key in emergencies -- especially for seniors. "If you have had an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG), keep a folded-up copy of the report in your wallet as well."
del.icio.us
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
-
6
-
7
-
8
-
9
-
10
-
11
-
12
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
-
6
-
7
-
8
-
9
-
10
-
11
-
12
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
-
6
-
7
-
8
-
9
-
10
-
11
-
12
Boosting Your Breasts Without Implants
A breakthrough procedure gives women who want bigger breasts, but don’t like the idea of implant surgery, a new option.
