Often it is only later in the call that we actually get around to identifying who our patient actually is.  If they’re unconscious, their name isn’t that important to us right away.  However, if they are conscious and alert it’s nice to know their name so that we can use it to address them.

In general, it’s better to call people ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’ something-or-other than using their first name.  And for heaven’s sake, please don’t be so condescending as to call the elderly ‘Dear’ or some other informal epithet like that.  It always makes me cringe when I work with someone who does that.

When we hand over our patient, and fill in our paperwork, we need to know the following information, so do your best to find out their:

1. First and last name
   

2. Address
   

3. Date of birth (DOB)
   

4. Health Card or Medical Identification number

Overview

I         Identify the Patient

C        Chief Complaint

I         Incident History

H        Past Medical HIstory

A        Allergies

D        Drugs

VS       Vital Signs

As.       Assessed   and

Tx       Treated