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What to bring to the emergency department and the role of primary care
Summary
Dr. Patrick Rogers advised patients to bring three key items — medical history, allergies and current medications — stressed that primary care can help determine when ED care is necessary, and explained how shared electronic health records facilitate continuity of care.
Rogers told listeners there are three pieces of information that are most helpful if a patient is incapacitated: a brief medical history, a list of medication allergies, and a current medication list. "I think these 3 things are a medical, list of your... your allergies to medications and your current medication list," he said.
He also explained how electronic medical records support continuity: ED discharges include summaries that can be shared with a primary doctor and, where systems share records (the episode cites Hackensack Meridian), primary physicians can sometimes view results in real time. Rogers recommended seeing a primary care doctor when possible because that provider understands the patient's history and can advise whether ED evaluation is necessary.
The practical advice: carry or store on your phone a concise medical history, medication list and allergies, and if you have chronic conditions consider going to the ED when symptoms change significantly rather than relying on episodic urgent care visits.
