When to Seek Medical Care
Posted on September 1, 2016
Would you know what to do if you or someone you love got sick? Do you call your doctor? Or do you call 911 or go directly to a hospital emergency room?
At times like this, it can be hard to think clearly. Below are some tips to help you plan ahead and know what type of care to get:
Call your Doctor first for:
- Cold, coughs, flu, sore throat
- Fever
- Earache
- Asthma
- Pain or burning when urinating
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Rash
- Eye discomfort
- Stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
- Insect bite with no trouble breathing
- Minor cuts or scrapes
- Any health-related concerns
Call 911 or go to the Emergency Room right away for:
- Severe bleeding due to cut, puncture or medical condition
- Head injury or major trauma
- Trouble breathing or are not able to breathe
- Not able to move some or all parts of the body
- Back injury
- Serious eye injuries
- Broken bones
- Thoughts of hurting yourself or others
- Consuming harmful chemicals and/or drugs
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea that is severe and/or non-stop
- Sudden and/or severe abdominal pain
- Any life-threatening situations
Other non-emergency options
If you can’t reach your doctor, try these other options for non-emergencies or health questions:
Teladoc™ — With Teladoc, our telehealth partner, you can request a phone, mobile app or online visit with a Teladoc doctor to treat non-emergency health issues such as a cold or the flu, ear pain and more. Teladoc is a low-cost and easy way to get non-emergency care. They will connect you with a doctor in less than an hour. Go to healthnewengland.org/Teladoc or call 1-800-Teladoc (835-2362) to learn more and set up your free account ahead of time.
Nurse line — For free health advice, call Health New England’s 24/7 health information line. Licensed nurses and clinicians can answer your questions about health-related issues. Call (866) 389-7613 or email nurseline@hne.com.
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