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Perception is Reality... Until Changed
A Change in Perception Perception is reality until changed. It's true! How many times have you been on a call, walked up to your patient and, before even speaking to them, began making a judgement? And how often did those first impressions hold up? As the EMS Education Manager for the MedicAlert® Foundation and a paramedic for the last 12 years, I encounter situations similar to this on a regular basis. MedicAlert® Foundation is one of the world's largest nonprofit membership organizations, serving 2.7 million members in the US and 1.3 million internationally. For forty-three years, MedicAlert® Foundation has provided emergency medical information through our 24-hour Emergency Response Center. In fact, MedicAlert® Foundation was involved in emergency information almost a decade before the organization of EMS as we know it. And still, to this day we are perceived by some as "just a bracelet company." It is surprising to me that some emergency personnel do not see the value of looking for the MedicAlert® emblem as part of their patient survey. It only takes a second, and it could provide you with important clues as to what caused the problem, or reveal allergies to certain medications you might be considering in the course of your treatment. It could also alert you that the member has an advanced directive on file. In some states, MedicAlert® acts as a " Do Not Resuscitate order". (DNR) Check with your state or local EMS agency for details, or e-mail Cherie Morrison-Davis, Advanced Directives Director, at morrison-davis_cherie@medicalert.org. It is also vitally important to note the phone number on the emblem. Why is this number so important? On the back of the famous emblems, worn as bracelet's or necklace's, the average member has three engraved medical conditions or prescriptions, but his or her computerized record, on average, lists five. The file typically provides emergency contacts and primary physician information as well. Emergency responders simply can't know all the key facts needed for their assessment until they or the emergency department place that collect (209-634-4917) or toll-free (1-800-625-3780) call to the MedicAlert® 24-hour Emergency Response Center. If you do not have the time to make the call yourself, advise the receiving facility during your radio report so they can call the emergency response center to have the complete file faxed directly to them. What is most distressing to me is the fact that in 1998 MedicAlert® Foundation received 175 "ignored emblem" reports from our members. Of that number 43 came from EMS personnel, and the rest came from hospital emergency departments. An ignored emblem report is generated when a member advises us that EMS or ED personnel did not look at his or her emblem. Sometimes we receive phone calls from family members, who were asked for information that they did not have, information that was readily available either from the back of the emblem or by calling our 24-hour Emergency Response Center. While these numbers may not seem significant, to me they represent 175 missed opportunities to get important information that could have made a difference in the patient's outcome. I know how I would feel as a paramedic if I caused accidental harm to one of my patients because I did not take that extra second or two to look for the emblem. It really is that easy. In order to better educate emergency responders about the scope of service MedicAlert® Foundation provides, we offer free training tools to tens of thousands of EMS and ED educators across the nation. These tools include our new EMS training kit (CE credit available), the highly acclaimed "Geriatrics Emergencies" manual, and a new law enforcement video produced in cooperation with the California POST (Peace Officers Standards and Training) Commission. To order any of these materials call 1-800-635-3788 or email inquiries@medicalert.org. Our members trust EMS professionals to look for the MedicAlert emblem, note the information given, and when appropriate make the call to the 24-hour Emergency Response Center. The continued success of our system depends on you, the emergency responder to look for our life-saving emblem. In turn, you can trust that MedicAlert® will provide the information you need 24-hours a day to make the right decisions during your assessment. Matt Myers can be reached at Myers_Matthew@medicalert.org |
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All contents copyright 1996 - 2005 by Bob Nelson |
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