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How To Be An Empowered ED Patient
Dr. Jenice Baker offers up things you can do to be an empowered patient or visitor in the Emergency Department.
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Learn more about Jenice Baker, MD
Jenice Baker, MD
Dr. Forde-Baker, MD practices Emergency Medicine in Camden, NJ. Dr. Forde-Baker graduated from Weill Cornell Medical College in 2004 and has been in practice for 11 years. She completed a residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital. She currently practices at CHS EmCare Inc and is affiliated with Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. Dr. Forde-Baker accepts multiple insurance plans including Capital Blue Cross, AmeriHealth, and Blue Cross Blue Shield.Learn more about Jenice Baker, MD
Transcription:
Melanie Cole, MS (Host): If you’ve ever had to go to the emergency room, you know how stressful it can be. You're running around the house thinking about things you might need to grab, what you need to bring with you, plus you're worrying about the person who has to go to the emergency room. It’s a very stressful time so you don’t always think about. But here to tell us about some things that we should probably keep handy or in our mind is Dr. Jenice Baker. She’s the assistant medical director in the emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. Dr. Baker, first before we even talk about the emergency room, we hear the words empowered patient. We hear the words health advocacy. What does that mean to be an advocate for someone you love or to be an empowered patient?
Jenice Baker, MD (Guest): Hi Melanie. Thanks for having me on. An empowered patient is a patient who is able to be ready to be active in their patient care process. What that means is they are aware of what their medical problems are, they know their medications, they know the names of their physicians. They also know and have the questions ready that they want to ask and have answered. They also have the priority of the things that are most important to them for their medical care. As far as a health advocate, that is an individual who’s able to do those things whether it’s on behalf of a child, on behalf of a loved one, on behalf of an older parent. They are there to be sure they can help navigate their loved one through the healthcare process.
Host: So, as I said in the intro then Dr. Baker, going is so stressful to the ER. What should we know if we’re someone who’s calling 911 or deciding whether or not we should drive our loved one to the ER? I recently picked up my dad, he was dizzy, and I went and got him. Then I wasn’t sure whether I should have been doing that or not.
Dr. Baker: So I think the first thing is always seek care if you think there is a life threatening emergency going on. If you have any concern whether they may be having a heart attack, they may be having a stroke, then I want you to get to the emergency department as quickly as possible. So I would also want you to start getting care right away. Calling 911 is always the safest way to go. If you think, however, that there’s going to be some delay for some reason or, for whatever reason, you think you may get them there faster, that’s okay for you to take the loved one. But you don’t have to take that stress on yourself. If there’s any concern, you can call 911 and the operator can also guide you as well as you're making that decision to come to the emergency department.
Host: Wow. That’s really great information because it can be just such a confusing time. So what kinds of emergencies do you treat at Lourdes?
Dr. Baker: At Our Lady of Lourdes we treat any and all emergencies. From heart attacks to strokes to abdominal pain to headache to anything. We are able to see every patient and take care of them efficiently. All of our physicians that are at Our Lady of Lourdes are emergency medicine trained. We are certified and board trained in the care of emergency medicine. That goes for adults and children as well.
Host: That’s very reassuring, Dr. Baker, when you say that about the certifications and qualifications of the ER docs. So what do you want us to know while we wait to be seen? Give us some things, five things or so, that you want us to know about arriving at the emergency room.
Dr. Baker: One of the biggest things that I want patients and family members and advocates to know is to be prepared for your emergency room visit. That would include if you have your medications, you have it written down, or you have a picture of the medications and the dosages and the doctor that prescribed it on your phone. Sometimes patients say, “Oh I take this pill or the blue pill or the yellow one.” We really cannot accurately identify the medication unless we know what it is.
The other part is to really have the name of all of your care team. Your family physician, your cardiologist, your endocrinologist, or your surgeon or any other specialists in your care. Especially if they are not part of the Lourdes healthcare system. We have different medical centers around and patients may seek care elsewhere. It can be difficult or take longer to navigate or get in touch with the right person if we actually don’t have them in our system. So if you have the name and the number easily accessible, and that could even be in your healthcare advocates possession whether they have the number in their phone, so you don’t have to worry about it. But having the information there will be very, very helpful.
The other thing that we want you to understand is to have patience with all of us. In the emergency department there are patients who may be coming in through the entrance, but there are patients that are coming in through the ambulance as well. If you are having a life threatening emergency, we will see you right away as soon as possible. There may be times when you may be waiting, whether it’s in the waiting room or after you’ve been initially seen, because you have to take time for getting your results back, getting your radiology studies back, and waiting for the physician or physician assistant to come to care for you. But just know that we are always thinking about your care and providing you with the best care. It’s okay to ask us questions. Feel free to ask your nurse, feel free to ask your physician, feel free to ask the technicians if you have any questions about your care during that time. We want to be able to alleviate your fears, answer your questions, and give you realistic expectations of what to expect in the emergency department.
If you're coming to the emergency department, it is okay to go ahead and bring a friend or bring a healthcare advocate, a family member, so spend that time there with you. It is okay to have a visitor with you in the emergency department. So we want you to know that we don’t want you to feel alone or scared, and that you can have your own support system with you.
The other thing that we want you to know is our emergency department has a zero tolerance for any sort of violence, and that is to protect you, the patient, and to protect us, workers, in the emergency department. We all want to practice in a safe environment, and we want to keep it that way. We understand that sometimes patients may be upset or scared or frightened or family members, but at that time, we really don’t want any tempers flaring. In fact, we want to calm the situation down so we can take care of any life threatening emergency that may be presenting at that time.
Host: Wow. That’s a lot of great information Dr. Baker. Really you lay it out for us so very well. What a great educator that you are. What about parents? Because, of course, parents can hear you saying all of these things, but when you bring a child into the emergency room, every single rational thought goes out of your head. What do you want parents to know? You said it was okay that we’re asking questions. Is there a point where you would like parents to really trust you and step back a little bit? What are parents supposed to do?
Dr. Baker: Yes. I can understand that, and I am a parent myself. I think the biggest thing and advice I would give to parents is if it is one of those situations where it literally is a life threatening situation, we want you there and we need you there to get that history. Maybe in the proximity of your child, we need you just maybe a little bit room. Give us room so that we can get in there and take care of the child. I think that sometimes is the hardest aspect of the parent, having to maybe physically let go. Meaning that they won't be able to be right there next to their child. But that’s because the care team needs to be in there and get access to place IVs, to give medications, to give treatments, and we may have to do that very, very quickly.
So I think to understand that in an emergency setting—and this may occur for children, this may occur for older patients—sometimes things will be happening very quickly, very faster. Faster than a family and a loved one and a parent can understand, but we are doing the best care possible. We will have time to explain what is going on. Sometimes we may have to explain it after the treatments are given because sometimes the minutes matter, the time matters. We may have to get in there physically around the child closer than you have to be, but that’s because we are literally giving life stabilizing care.
Host: It is great information. Thank you so much. Dr. Baker, if you had to really summarize all of this into one main point, what would you want people to know about the stress that goes with coming to the emergency room, how to know when to come to the emergency room, what you would like them to know.
Dr. Baker: I think the biggest thing I’d like people to know is if you're coming to the emergency room or the main reasons to come. If you think you're having a heart attack, if you think you're having a stroke, you're having the worst pain of your life anywhere in your body, you come to the emergency room. I think that’s definitely the number one advice. Come to the emergency room. We are the healthcare providers that have been trained to handle the stress. So you don’t need to worry about the type of care that you're going to receive at Our Lady of Lourdes. We are all well trained to handle the stress of the emergency department. We know what to do and we will take care of you as best as we can and as quickly and as safe as we can. Please understand that if you are not being seen right away, it is because someone else who needs urgent care is and because what you are dealing with is not life threatening at that moment. But you will be seen by a trained emergency medicine physician or physician assistant.
Host: Thank you so much, Dr. Baker, for coming on with us today. I think it’s important that people hear what you had to say as an emergency room physician. And the fact that you do reiterate the point that you're working fast, you're triaging patients, but we will get the best care available. Thank you, again, for joining us. This is Lourdes Healthtalk. For more information, please visit lourdesnet.org. That’s lourdesnet.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Melanie Cole, MS (Host): If you’ve ever had to go to the emergency room, you know how stressful it can be. You're running around the house thinking about things you might need to grab, what you need to bring with you, plus you're worrying about the person who has to go to the emergency room. It’s a very stressful time so you don’t always think about. But here to tell us about some things that we should probably keep handy or in our mind is Dr. Jenice Baker. She’s the assistant medical director in the emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. Dr. Baker, first before we even talk about the emergency room, we hear the words empowered patient. We hear the words health advocacy. What does that mean to be an advocate for someone you love or to be an empowered patient?
Jenice Baker, MD (Guest): Hi Melanie. Thanks for having me on. An empowered patient is a patient who is able to be ready to be active in their patient care process. What that means is they are aware of what their medical problems are, they know their medications, they know the names of their physicians. They also know and have the questions ready that they want to ask and have answered. They also have the priority of the things that are most important to them for their medical care. As far as a health advocate, that is an individual who’s able to do those things whether it’s on behalf of a child, on behalf of a loved one, on behalf of an older parent. They are there to be sure they can help navigate their loved one through the healthcare process.
Host: So, as I said in the intro then Dr. Baker, going is so stressful to the ER. What should we know if we’re someone who’s calling 911 or deciding whether or not we should drive our loved one to the ER? I recently picked up my dad, he was dizzy, and I went and got him. Then I wasn’t sure whether I should have been doing that or not.
Dr. Baker: So I think the first thing is always seek care if you think there is a life threatening emergency going on. If you have any concern whether they may be having a heart attack, they may be having a stroke, then I want you to get to the emergency department as quickly as possible. So I would also want you to start getting care right away. Calling 911 is always the safest way to go. If you think, however, that there’s going to be some delay for some reason or, for whatever reason, you think you may get them there faster, that’s okay for you to take the loved one. But you don’t have to take that stress on yourself. If there’s any concern, you can call 911 and the operator can also guide you as well as you're making that decision to come to the emergency department.
Host: Wow. That’s really great information because it can be just such a confusing time. So what kinds of emergencies do you treat at Lourdes?
Dr. Baker: At Our Lady of Lourdes we treat any and all emergencies. From heart attacks to strokes to abdominal pain to headache to anything. We are able to see every patient and take care of them efficiently. All of our physicians that are at Our Lady of Lourdes are emergency medicine trained. We are certified and board trained in the care of emergency medicine. That goes for adults and children as well.
Host: That’s very reassuring, Dr. Baker, when you say that about the certifications and qualifications of the ER docs. So what do you want us to know while we wait to be seen? Give us some things, five things or so, that you want us to know about arriving at the emergency room.
Dr. Baker: One of the biggest things that I want patients and family members and advocates to know is to be prepared for your emergency room visit. That would include if you have your medications, you have it written down, or you have a picture of the medications and the dosages and the doctor that prescribed it on your phone. Sometimes patients say, “Oh I take this pill or the blue pill or the yellow one.” We really cannot accurately identify the medication unless we know what it is.
The other part is to really have the name of all of your care team. Your family physician, your cardiologist, your endocrinologist, or your surgeon or any other specialists in your care. Especially if they are not part of the Lourdes healthcare system. We have different medical centers around and patients may seek care elsewhere. It can be difficult or take longer to navigate or get in touch with the right person if we actually don’t have them in our system. So if you have the name and the number easily accessible, and that could even be in your healthcare advocates possession whether they have the number in their phone, so you don’t have to worry about it. But having the information there will be very, very helpful.
The other thing that we want you to understand is to have patience with all of us. In the emergency department there are patients who may be coming in through the entrance, but there are patients that are coming in through the ambulance as well. If you are having a life threatening emergency, we will see you right away as soon as possible. There may be times when you may be waiting, whether it’s in the waiting room or after you’ve been initially seen, because you have to take time for getting your results back, getting your radiology studies back, and waiting for the physician or physician assistant to come to care for you. But just know that we are always thinking about your care and providing you with the best care. It’s okay to ask us questions. Feel free to ask your nurse, feel free to ask your physician, feel free to ask the technicians if you have any questions about your care during that time. We want to be able to alleviate your fears, answer your questions, and give you realistic expectations of what to expect in the emergency department.
If you're coming to the emergency department, it is okay to go ahead and bring a friend or bring a healthcare advocate, a family member, so spend that time there with you. It is okay to have a visitor with you in the emergency department. So we want you to know that we don’t want you to feel alone or scared, and that you can have your own support system with you.
The other thing that we want you to know is our emergency department has a zero tolerance for any sort of violence, and that is to protect you, the patient, and to protect us, workers, in the emergency department. We all want to practice in a safe environment, and we want to keep it that way. We understand that sometimes patients may be upset or scared or frightened or family members, but at that time, we really don’t want any tempers flaring. In fact, we want to calm the situation down so we can take care of any life threatening emergency that may be presenting at that time.
Host: Wow. That’s a lot of great information Dr. Baker. Really you lay it out for us so very well. What a great educator that you are. What about parents? Because, of course, parents can hear you saying all of these things, but when you bring a child into the emergency room, every single rational thought goes out of your head. What do you want parents to know? You said it was okay that we’re asking questions. Is there a point where you would like parents to really trust you and step back a little bit? What are parents supposed to do?
Dr. Baker: Yes. I can understand that, and I am a parent myself. I think the biggest thing and advice I would give to parents is if it is one of those situations where it literally is a life threatening situation, we want you there and we need you there to get that history. Maybe in the proximity of your child, we need you just maybe a little bit room. Give us room so that we can get in there and take care of the child. I think that sometimes is the hardest aspect of the parent, having to maybe physically let go. Meaning that they won't be able to be right there next to their child. But that’s because the care team needs to be in there and get access to place IVs, to give medications, to give treatments, and we may have to do that very, very quickly.
So I think to understand that in an emergency setting—and this may occur for children, this may occur for older patients—sometimes things will be happening very quickly, very faster. Faster than a family and a loved one and a parent can understand, but we are doing the best care possible. We will have time to explain what is going on. Sometimes we may have to explain it after the treatments are given because sometimes the minutes matter, the time matters. We may have to get in there physically around the child closer than you have to be, but that’s because we are literally giving life stabilizing care.
Host: It is great information. Thank you so much. Dr. Baker, if you had to really summarize all of this into one main point, what would you want people to know about the stress that goes with coming to the emergency room, how to know when to come to the emergency room, what you would like them to know.
Dr. Baker: I think the biggest thing I’d like people to know is if you're coming to the emergency room or the main reasons to come. If you think you're having a heart attack, if you think you're having a stroke, you're having the worst pain of your life anywhere in your body, you come to the emergency room. I think that’s definitely the number one advice. Come to the emergency room. We are the healthcare providers that have been trained to handle the stress. So you don’t need to worry about the type of care that you're going to receive at Our Lady of Lourdes. We are all well trained to handle the stress of the emergency department. We know what to do and we will take care of you as best as we can and as quickly and as safe as we can. Please understand that if you are not being seen right away, it is because someone else who needs urgent care is and because what you are dealing with is not life threatening at that moment. But you will be seen by a trained emergency medicine physician or physician assistant.
Host: Thank you so much, Dr. Baker, for coming on with us today. I think it’s important that people hear what you had to say as an emergency room physician. And the fact that you do reiterate the point that you're working fast, you're triaging patients, but we will get the best care available. Thank you, again, for joining us. This is Lourdes Healthtalk. For more information, please visit lourdesnet.org. That’s lourdesnet.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
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