Advocating for your child in the emergency room is perhaps one of the more important roles you have as the parent of a child with hemophilia. You must ensure that your child is seen promptly upon arrival - a procedure often at odds with the ER process of prioritizing patients by the severity of illness or injury. And you may need to educate the staff once you arrive. So, how do you respectfully advocate for your child in the ER?

Make your trip to the hospital less stressful with some advance planning.

1. Schedule a visit to the emergency department in advance to lay the groundwork. ¹
   
2. Arrive prepared to educate the staff. Some will be more knowledgeable than others about hemophilia. You'll improve your credibility by knowing all the facts.
   
3. During your advance visit, inquire about procedures and discuss how well they do or do not fit with your child's needs. ¹
   
4. Ask if they have a policy that allows you to bring factor with you in an unopened box. Some ERs will not allow patients to bring in factor.
   
5. When an unscheduled trip to the ER occurs, call your HTC on the way to the hospital. The professionals there can help smooth the process and educate the staff upon your arrival.
   
6. Consult with your HTC or hematologist as needed.
   

Do you have an ER tip to share? We want to hear from you. Post your ideas for others to learn from.

[1] A Child's Best Advocate: Smoothing the Road to the ER. Vanderbilt Medical Center. http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/vhtc/patients2.html. February, 2007.