Special Parents Confidential Episode 38 All About ER

All About ER. For some parents of Special Needs Children, trips to the ER – Emergency Room – can become as frequent as going on family outings. Those trips can be frightening for both the parents, the special needs child, and the siblings. What can parents do to minimize trips to the ER? When is a trip to the ER necessary?  What can parents do to minimize their children’s fears when going to the emergency room? Additionally, what should parents do to make sure their concerns are being met?  For this episode, we are fortunate to have as a guest, Doctor Patricia Schultz an emergency medicine trained physician.  After finishing residency and practicing in the ER for a few years, she found her real passion was utilizing her medical training to help patients and families get the best medical care possible. She also taught medical students how to perform to the best of their abilities while having the utmost empathy, respect and compassion for their patients.  Dr. Schultz is currently a healthcare consultant in the private sector, and is working on writing her second book.  She talks about how parents can lessen children’s fears of the ER and the doctor’s office in general. What parents can do to help doctors and staff members understand the unique challenges our kids face. How parents can best advocate for their kids. How to make sure that in an over-worked environment like a busy ER, that the staff is really focusing on our children. Dr. Schultz also discusses what parents should do when conflicts arise with the medical staff, which unfortunately can happen. The dangers of trying to diagnose our kid’s medical problems through internet searches. Finally, why it’s important to follow up an ER visit with an appointment to your family doctor or pediatrician. Disclaimer:  Dr. Schultz’ contributions in this episode are for informational purposes only. Always talk your family physician or pediatrician before trying any kind of medical treatment, therapy, or medication. Links Mentioned In This Podcast American Academy of Pediatrics – Their main website page. Healthy Children From The AAP – Website from the American Academy of Pediatrics that allows for customizing your family health information. The Mayo Clinic Symptoms Page – Database of illnesses, symptoms, and first aid treatments. A Reminder: Please share Special Parents Confidential with your friends, family, and  your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons located right below this paragraph. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Add us on Google Plus, Tumblr, Linked In, Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Reddit, Instagram, Snapchat, or other social media sites. You can also sign up for our email service and have new posts and podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox the moment they’re available online. That form is located to the right of this text. We’re also on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIN, and Poddirectory as a free subscription. Additionally, please consider writing a review about our podcast on any of those services. Anything you can do to help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential will help us be able to continue these podcasts. Thanks for your support!