Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility For Your Safety A Guide For People with Disabilities and Other Activity Limitations

Why You Should Carry Emergency Health Information

The care you receive in emergency situations depends on how much information physicians have at the time of the emergency. In emergency rooms you may be unable to give a full medical history and may not have someone with you to provide it. (Lollar 1994) p. 72‑73  Sometimes emergency personnel only have seconds to make decisions about your care.

Make multiple copies of your emergency health information to keep at work, in your wallet or purse with your driver’s license or primary identification card, in your wheelchair pack, etc. Review and update this information whenever your medications or other information changes, but no less than twice a year.