Refrigerator Can Hold Emergency Data

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), March, 1999

Your refrigerator can help paramedics and other emergency responders quickly locate information that caregivers may need in order to help you during an emergency. "Particularly if you are a senior citizen or suffer from a chronic disease, it's a good idea to put a note on your refrigerator to help the responders locate vital information inside, such as lists of medications you might be taking, descriptions of medical conditions, advance directives, and the names of clergy, relatives, or others who should be notified promptly in an emergency," indicates Joan Raiter, coordinator of the Vial of Life program at Stanford (Calif.) Hospital and Clinics.

"In our program, we provide interested area residents with a sticker to place on the refrigerator, a blank medical information form, a vial in which to store the form, and a red sticker to place on the refrigerator door to alert emergency personnel that the information vial is inside. In an emergency, when minutes are precious, knowing about the patient's medical conditions, including what drugs they're taking, can mean the difference between life and death," she points out. When placing information in the fridge, many people also include documents such as a durable power of attorney or a pre-hospital "do not resuscitate" form or advance directives to clarify their wishes for treatment under certain conditions.