If you have a specialist or primary care doctor, call and let him or her know you are in the ER.

Perhaps he or she can meet you there. It will be beneficial to have someone there who has knowledge of your medical history and a direct concern for your health. 

If your doctor can't meet you, ask that he or she at least call the ER to let the ER know he or she is concerned and would like a call with the results.  It is beneficial if the ER knows that another doctor is looking out for you.   

Speak up about your symptoms.

Don't underplay your symptoms. Emergency rooms function on the triage system-which means that patients with the most immediate medical needs or those with life-threatening situations are always given top priority.  A broken leg will not likely be the most pressing problem in a large volume hospital emergency room.

If you underplay your symptoms, or don't let the personnel know if the symptoms get worse, you won't be moved forward as quickly as you should.

Express your needs.

Be firm in making your needs known but try to stay nice. You can safely assume that every ER staff is over-worked.

Request comfort items such as water and a blanket. If you're hungry or thirsty, ask for liquid or a food tray.  You will receive help from the ER staff until you receive a room assignment. 

Think ahead. After you are in a room, you may have a long wait for attention. For example, if you're not hungry now, but are likely to be in the next hour or two -- ask for food. You can take it to your room with you. (If you're told you can't have food because of your symptoms, ask if there is any food you can eat.)

Make your needs known before you are assigned a room. Up to the point of being assigned a room, you should be able to get attention from the staff.  After that point, you may be in for a long wait without attention.

Bring food or snacks or have a friend bring them. 

You can also ask one of the nurses for a hospital tray of food.  Don't hesitate to make requests.  If possible try to get to know the head of the ER.

If you know a big shot at the hospital, it can't hurt to drop his or her name in the ER. 

It may get you on a fast track to a room or more attention while in the ER. 

If the wait is long, try to speak to the head nurse of the ER.

The head nurse generally has the authority to change standard procedure. Let him or her know how long you've been waiting - and why you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. A polite approach generally works better than an aggressive, combative approach.

If you are put in a bed or on a gurney, ask for more than one sheet with which to cover yourself.

Sheets can help isolate you from germs in the ER.

When leaving the ER ask for your records.

 If they are not available ask them to be sent to your primary care physician (this is done free).

If you have a managed care plan, ask whether the Emergency Room doctors are in your network.

If you have a choice, use only in-network doctors. If not, you can argue with the insurance company later that you had no choice but to use the doctors who helped.

Ask for a blanket.

It can take a long time to get one. Better to have it "just in case" than be cold and fret waiting for one when you need it. 

Before you leave the ER, be clear about:

• The diagnosis of the problem(s) discovered.
• The tests you took.
• The treatments which you were given.
• Instructions about what to do after leaving the hospital, including an understanding of what drugs you are to take, why, and for how long.

An easy way to be sure you're clear about these subjects is to describe them to the doctor.

Written with:

Skip Moskey
Limerick, ME

Herbert Spiers, Ph.D.
New York, NY 

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