By Jami Fichte, staff writer
The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK)
Copyright 2006 The Daily Oklahoman
EDMOND, Okla. — Susan Fleri is a healthy 23 year-old woman who took some good medical advice from an elderly neighbor. She now keeps personal medical information about herself posted on her refrigerator door.
“I like the feeling of security the form gives me,” Fleri said.
She got the form from the Edmond Fire Department as part of a new program to decrease time between emergency personnel arriving at patients’ homes and treating patients.
The fire department launched the Medical Information Sheet project in December. The neon-yellow forms give emergency teams a reference to patients’ medical history, medications and allergies. When emergency units respond to calls, they know to look for the sheets, which become especially useful when patients are unable to give their medical information.
“It’s a team effort,” Major Brian Davis said. “The paramedics go to the patient while the captain gathers information. He either speaks with the family or searches for the forms. We ask that they be visible, easy to find and recognizable,” Davis said.
Fire fighter Ryan Barrett, Lt. Vince Pfeiffer and Davis developed the program. “It was an attempt to improve patient care,” Davis said. “We can get all of our information quickly and the sheets are dated so that we know if the information is current.”
Firefighters have distributed the forms to assisted living centers and senior citizens’ groups but encourage all Edmond residents to participate.
Anyone interested in participating should pick up a medical information sheet at any Edmond fire station. For more information call 216-7300.