Be involved in your health care, speak up if you have questions or concerns about your care.

One of the keys to getting the best health care is to be an active member of your healthcare team. This means taking part and being involved in every decision about your care. This also means asking a member of your healthcare team questions, so that you can make informed decisions. It means coming prepared for your medical treatment and knowing what to do when you go home.

What you should know

You should understand as much as you can about any:

• Medical problem you have (your diagnosis)
• Treatment or procedure that you will have
• Medicine you should take and how to take it
  

Here are some good ways to ask questions:

• What should I do when I go home?
• What should I tell my family about my care?
• Can you tell me more about my medical problem?
• What does this test or treatment involve?
• What is the purpose of this test or treatment?
• Are there any other options?
• What should I do to get ready?
  

Medications

Bring all of your medications with you when you go to the hospital or to a medical appointment. Put them in a bag and take them with you. Always keep any medicines in the container it came in

Some medications combine with each other in your body and produce bad reactions. To protect you, your healthcare team must know about everything you take. This includes drugs you take with a doctor’s prescription and any other medicines you buy, such as:

• Vitamins
• Herbs and herbal remedies
• Over the counter or non-prescription medicine
  

If you cannot bring your medicines with you, another good thing to do is to keep a list of everything you take. Keep this list up to date and bring this list with you. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you make this list.

Tell us about your allergies

Always tell a member of your healthcare team if you have ever had an allergic or bad reaction to any medicine or food.

If you get sick, your healthcare team may need to act fast. Before they give you any medication, they need to know if you could have had a bad reaction to it. That’s why you should tell them in advance about any allergies or reactions you have ever had with medicines or foods.

Reactions can include rashes, headaches, breathing trouble, and feeling sick. Because some medicines have food in them (such as eggs in a flu shot), be sure to talk to your healthcare team about your food allergies too. Tell a member of your healthcare team right away if a new medicine makes you feel unwell.

Don’t wait until you get sick to tell people about your allergies, Some people wear an ID bracelet such as MedicAlert™. This tells your healthcare team about your allergies when you can’t tell them yourself.

Santé Manitouwadge Health does offer MiCards (Medical Information Cards) for all individuals. They are created by SMH staff in order to have all your medical information ready at hand. These cards contain information such as;

• Patients Personal Information (Name, DOB, Address, Phone Number, etc.)
• Family Physician and their contact information
• Medical Conditions/History
• Medications and,
• Allergies 

Know what to do when you go home

Make sure you know what to do when you go home from the hospital or from a medical appointment.

When you are ready to go home from the hospital, or after medical treatment, ask as many questions as you can to make sure you understand what you need to do when you go home. You can write this information down or it may be helpful for a family member or friend to write it down for you.