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FAQ 415-680-4153FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Urgent care is not emergency medical care. It is provided for problems that require treatment in the near future, usually same-day. It is not appropriate for emergencies involving serious or life-threatening conditions. If you are unsure whether your problem is a true emergency, you should call 9-1-1 now, or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.
We are dedicated to providing housecalls only, for the convenience and benefit of our patients. The doctors work from home. This allows us to maintain a low overhead, thus keeping urgent housecall services affordable for many.
When Urgent Med Housecalls is called, a doctor will usually answer the telephone directly. This is the beginning of the personalized service that is provided by Urgent Med Housecalls. After questions are answered, and housecall service is determined to be appropriate, the doctor will come to you.
The doctor will usually arrive within one hour and may arrive within minutes in many cases -- especially if the housecall is requested within the city of San Francisco. The doctor will advise you of the estimated time of arrival. For your convenience, you may request a preferred time to meet with your doctor. You will have direct telephone contact with your housecall provider available to you at all times before your doctor arrives.
After introductions, your doctor will perform a history and physical examination appropriate for the problem and will then recommend treatment options. After all questions are answered, instructions given, and paperwork completed, your doctor will depart. However, you will continue to have direct telephone access to your caregiver for any follow up questions or needs that may arise. In most situations, your housecall physician will offer to leave your medications with you so that you can avoid a trip to the pharmacy. Alternatively, written or telephoned prescriptions are always available.
One recent patient had just arrived from her travels with a terrible case of gastroenteritis (stomach flu), with significant dehydration, and she was groaning in pain. Within minutes of my arrival she received rapid hydration with IV fluids, medications were given through the IV, and her pain and nausea were resolved. She was smiling, and was much more comfortable. I observed her for awhile, then left. During this visit, my procedures were kept sterile, furniture was protected from contamination, and I kept a nearby compact medical bag with extensive resuscitation gear to be used in the extremely unlikely event of serious medication reaction or other problem. Her room was left clean, as when I had arrived. I then left her with instructions, supplied her with appropriate medications, and left the hotel. She had my direct telephone number to call anytime, 24/7, if she experienced problems, or had further questions. She never left the comfort of her bed during treatment, except to go to the bathroom. She fell asleep immediately after I departed, she later told me. I called her the following morning to confirm that she was, in fact, well, and she reported being very satisfied with her care.
Mobile laboratory testing is offered. Many tests are available during the housecall visit. An iStat is carried for portable instant bedside blood testing for glucose, electrolytes, kidney function, and blood count. Blood test results are usually available withing minutes of the blodd draw. Point of care testing for strep A, mono, influenza and pregnancy are available. Urine dip analysis is also performed. Tests can also be arranged to be done at a lab of your choice. Lab specimens, including cultures or other specialized tests, obtained during the housecall visit may be sent to the lab for processing.
Xray service is available to be brought to you upon request. A certified xray technician brings a portable xray machine to your home, hotel room, workplace, or wherever you are. The xray images are processed on site, and films are reviewed by your housecall physician or a board certified radiologist. Copies of the images may be provided to the patient upon request. Portable ultrasound studies may also be available for specific situations. Additional studies, including CT or MRI may be completed at a radiologic center of your choice. Your house call provider will arrange for the appropriate tests and will further direct your care based upon the results.
Convenience -- no need to travel to the clinic or hospital. No need to wait endlessly in the waiting room. The doctor will come to you. Medications and supplies can be brought to you. We are available for after hours urgent care.
Comfort – rest in familiar surroundings while your physician cares for you. Avoid the stress of sitting in a crowded waiting room for hours on end.
Connect with your physician -- spend more time with your housecall doctor getting your questions answered. Your doctor will get to know you better, which can further facilitate optimal patient care. Maintain ability to directly contact your doctor after the housecall visit.
Professional – Urgent Med Housecalls is staffed solely by experienced board certified emergency physicians to ensure optimal care. Providers continue to practice hospital emergency medicine to maintain knowledge base, and proficiency in emergency procedures. We believe that this allows our patients to receive top quality housecall urgent medical care.
Anyone wanting urgent care services brought to them for convenience may request service. While many of our patients are travelers, we also care for local residents on tight schedules, homebound patients, visually impaired patients, geriatric patients, mobility-challenged patients, and agoraphobics find use for house call services. Many patients call simply because we offer after hours urgent care when their doctor does not. Some call after seeing how crowded a waiting room is. Parents call because of the inconvenience of having to arrange for childcare for the other children while a sibling is taken for treatment. A few local physicians and surgeons offer our convenient services to certain patients when afterhours problems arise. We assist with certain problems that post surgical patients may encounter-at the request of the surgeon. Hospice and palliative care patients or their family members occasionally request our services. Anyone can benefit from house call service.
If Urgent Med Housecalls is staffed by emergency physicians, why can't they respond to serious or life threatening emergencies? Emergency physicians in hospital emergency departments rely on numerous immediately available resources to safely evaluate and care for the seriously ill or injured.
Emergent radiologic studies such as stat CT scans, ultrasounds and MRI's are needed for many situations.
Other laboratory testing often is immediately required. And perhaps most important are the numerous medical personnel ever present and available in the emergency department including nursing, respiratory, therapists, lab and xray technicians, and unit secretaries who perform crucial multi-tasking functions.
Additionally, many emergent surgical and interventional procedures and specialists are readily available in the emergency department.
When 9-1-1 is called, emergency service personnel, including highly trained paramedics, arrive using flashing lights and sirens and bringing with them crucial lifesaving equipment and medications. All of this usually occurs within minutes.
Urgent Med Housecalls providers are functioning solo in most cases, with more limited resources, do not use sirens, and cannot guarantee arrival within minutes.
For serious or life threatening emergencies call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest hospital emergency department immediately.
Anywhere within the San Francisco Bay Area, including Alameda, Alamo, Albany, AT&T Park, Atherton, Bay Farm Island, Belmont, Belvedere, Berkeley, Bernal Heights, Blackhawk, Bolinas, Brisbane, Broadmoor, Burlingame, Castro District, Castro Valley, Chinatown, Concord, Corte Madera, Cotati, Crockett, Cupertino, Danville, Diablo, , Dublin, East Palo Alto, East Richmond Heights, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Emerald Lake Hills, Emeryville, Fairfax, Fishermans Wharf, Forest Hill, Fremont, Haight-Ashbury, Half Moon Bay, Hayward, Hercules, Hillsborough, Jordan Park, Kensington, Kentfield, La Honda, Lafayette, Lagunitas, Larkspur, Laurel Heights, Los Altos Hills, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Marin City, Marin, Marina District, Marinwood, Martinez, Menlo Park, Mill Valley, Millbrae, Milpitas, Miramar, Mission District, Montclair, Moraga, Moss Beach, Mountain View, Muir Beach, Newark, Noe Valley, North Beach, North Fair Oaks, North Richmond, Novato, Oakland Airport, Oakland, Oceanview, Orinda, Pacific Heights, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Petaluma, Piedmont, Pinole, Pleasant hill, Pleasanton, Port Costa, Portola Valley, Potrero Hill, Presidio, Presidio Heights, Redwood City, Rheem Valley, Richmond District, Richmond, Rodeo, Rohnert Park, Rollingwood, Ross, Rossmoor, Saint Francis Wood, San Anselmo, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Francisco Airport, SF, San Geronimo, San Jose, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, San Mateo, San Pablo, San Rafael, San Ramon, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sausalito, Seacliff, SF Downtown, Sky Londa, Sleepy Hollow, SOMA, Sonoma, South Basin, South San Francisco, Stinson Beach, Strawberry, Sunnyvale, Sunset District, Tara Hills, Terra Linda, Tiburon, Twin Peaks, Union City, Union Square Walnut creek, West Menlo Park, Western Addition, Woodacre, Woodside,
Travel fees are usually predetermined by the housecall doctor and disclosed to patients upon request prior to confirming doctor house call service. Travel fees are based upon anticipated physician travel time to and from the house call location and are dependant on doctor location at the time of the housecall request in addition to current traffic conditions. No extra travel fees are charged when anticipated travel time is 15 minutes or less (each way). Generally travel time is charged at $200 per hour in addition to the doctor visit fee. Since our doctors are currently based in San Francisco, and Berkeley, these locations will not usually require travel charges. If a doctor housecall is requested in more distant areas and the doctor happens to be already nearby, or is scheduled to be nearby, there may be no extra travel fee. We always plan our travel so as to minimize charges to the patient.
Because housecall medicine is time-consuming, it is not financially feasible to offer these services at a discount; however, we may occasionally accept sliding scale payment, on a case-by-case basis, by those who are homebound.
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please Review It Carefully
Who does this Notice apply to?
We provide healthcare to patients and families in partnership with other professionals and organizations. The privacy practices in this notice will be followed by:
• Urgent Med Housecalls
• any business associate with whom we share health information
Our responsibility to you regarding your medical information
We understand that medical information about you is personal. We are committed to protecting the privacy of medical information about you. In an effort to provide
the highest quality medical care and to comply with certain legal requirements, we will and are required to:
• Keep your medical information private.
• Provide you with a copy of this notice.
• Follow the terms of this notice.
• Notify you if we are unable to agree to a restriction that you have requested.
• Accommodate reasonable requests by you for us to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.
How we may use and disclose medical information about you
We may use and disclose medical information about you for your treatment (such as sending medical information about you to a specialist as part of a referral); to
obtain payment for treatment (such as sending billing information to your insurance company); and to support our health care operations (such as comparing
patient data to improve treatment methods).
Examples of disclosures for treatment, payment or health care operations
We will use your health information for treatment.
For example: Information received by a nurse, physician or other member of your healthcare team will be recorded in your record and used to determine your
course of treatment. We will also provide your physician or a subsequent healthcare provider with copies of reports to assist him or her in treating you once you’re
discharged from the hospital.
We will use your health information for payment.
For example: A bill may be sent to you or an insurance company. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well
as your diagnosis, procedures and supplies used in your treatment.
We will use your health information for regular health care operations.
For example: Care providers or quality management staff may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like
it. This information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the healthcare and services we provide.
How will my information be used?
• We may contact you for appointment reminders, or to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options, alternatives, health-related benefits or services
that may be of interest to you.
***You will have an opportunity to refuse or opt-out of receiving this information upon the first contact by us***.
• Family and Friends. We may release medical information about you to a family member, friend, or any other person involved in your medical care. We may also
give information to those you identified as responsible for payment of your care. We may use or disclose medical information about you without your prior
authorization for several other reasons. Subject to certain requirements, we may give out medical information about you without your prior authorization for the
following purposes:
• Law. We may disclose medical information when required by law, such as in response to a request from law enforcement in specific circumstances or in
response to valid judicial or administrative orders.
• Public health. We may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, disability, child
abuse or neglect, etc. as required by law.
• Business associates. There are some services provided in our organization through contracts with business associates (ie. we may disclose medical information
about you to a company who bills insurance companies on our behalf to enable that company to help us obtain payment for the health care services we provide).
To protect your health information we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.
• Notification. We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your
care, of your location and general condition.
• Funeral directors. We may disclose health information to funeral directors consistent with applicable law for them to carry out their duties.
• Organ donation. Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose health information to organ procurement organizations or other entities for the purpose of tissue
donation and transplant.
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse events.
• Workers’ Compensation. We may disclose health information necessary to comply with laws relating to Workers’ Compensation or other similar programs
established by law.
• Correctional institution. Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or its agents health information necessary for your
health and the health and safety of other individuals.
• State Requirements. Many states have requirements for reporting including population- based activities relating to improving health or reducing health care costs.
• Organized Health Care Arrangements. Our care providers, staff members, and affiliates have organized and are jointly presenting this notice to you. Information
will be shared as necessary to carry out treatment, payment and health care operations. Physicians and caregivers may have access to protected health
information to assist in reviewing past treatment as it may affect treatment this time.
Other uses of medical information
In any other situation not covered by this notice, we will ask you for your written authorization before using or disclosing medical information about you. If you
choose to authorize us to use or disclose your health information, you can later revoke that authorization by notifying us in writing of your decision, except to the
extent that action has already been taken by us upon an authorization given to us.
Your rights regarding medical information about you
Although your health record is the property of the hospital, clinic, or other medical provider service that created it, you have the right to:
• Request a restriction, in writing*, on certain uses or disclosures of your medical information for treatment, payment or health care operations, with the exception
of emergency situations. We will consider your request, but we are not legally required to agree to a requested restriction. We will inform you of our decision
regarding your request.
• Obtain a paper copy of this notice of our privacy practices upon request.
• Inspect and obtain a copy of your medical information, in most cases.
• Request in writing*, an amendment to your records if you believe the information in your record is incorrect or important information is missing. We could deny
your request to amend a record if the information was not created by us, maintained by us, or if we determine the record is accurate. You may appeal, in writing, a
decision by us not to amend a record.
• Obtain an accounting of disclosures stating to whom and where your health information has been disclosed for purposes other than treatment, payment, health
care operations or where you specifically authorized a use or disclosure in the past six (6) years, but not prior to February 1, 2007. The request must be in writing*
and state the time period desired for the accounting. There may be a charge for these services.
• Request that medical information about you be communicated to you in a confidential way or at an alternative location but you must specify how or where you
wish to be contacted.
*All written requests or appeals should be submitted to our Privacy Officer listed at the bottom of this notice.
Changes to this Notice
Urgent Med housecalls has the right to change this notice at any time. We have the right to make the revised notice effective for medical information we already
have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current notice on our website www.UrgentMedHousecalls.com. The
notice will contain the effective date. In addition, you may request a copy of the current notice each time you are visited by a housecall medical services provider
for treatment or health care services.
If you have questions or would like additional information, or if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact us at:
Urgent Med Housecalls
2130 Fillmore Street, PMB397
San Francisco, CA 94115
Tel 415-680-4153
Fax 415-520-4058
Email: Info@UrgentMedHousecalls.com
Website: www.UrgentMedHousecalls.com
You may also file a complaint with the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights,
200 Independence Avenue, S. W., Washington, DC 20201.
Filing a complaint will not negatively affect the treatment or coverage that you receive.
Privacy Officer
John Horning, M.D.
2130 Fillmore Street, PMB397
San Francisco, CA 94115
(Revised February 2007)
415-680-4153
1-800-767-4058 (toll free)
A few of the many ways to say "doctor": طبيب
دكتور, metge,博士,博士,
liječnik, Lékař, læge, dokter, doktor, arst, manggagamot, mediko,
lääkäri, tohtori, médecin, docteur, toubib, médico, Arzt,
Mediziner, γιατρός, διδάκτορας, δόκτορας,רוֹפֵא,דוֹקטוֹר,डाक्टर,चिकित्सक,
orvos, pengobat, dottore, medico, 医者,医師,医員,医家,医伯,医博,博士,先生,刀圭,刀圭家,ドクター,ドクトル,의사,박사,학자,수리하는
사람, 조절기,보정기,암녹색의
제물 낚시, 배의
요리사, ārsts,
doktors, pavārs, mākslīga muša, palīgierīce, gydytojas,
daktaras, taisytojas, dirbtinė muselė, surogatas, tabib, lege,
doktor, lekarz, doutor, médico, isca artificial, medic, racletă,
răzuitoare, доктор, врач, эскулап, дантист,
доктор, доктор, лекар, lekár, zdravnik,
facultativo, médico, doctor, curador, medicina, DOKTOR, LÄKARE,
FÄLTKOCK, คุณหมอ,นายแพทย์,ดุษฎีบัณฑิต,ผู้ที่ได้รับปริญญาเอก,ดอกเตอร์,จีนแส,ดร.,น.พ.,ไวทย์,เวช,อายุรแพทย์,
hekim, ileri gelen, gemi aşçısı, yapay balıkçı sineği,
доктор, теолог, законник, лікар, bác sĩ,
đồ để cạo, học giả, người sửa chửa, nhà
bác học, tiến sỉ, thầy thuốc, nhà thông thái,
nhà thuyết minh giáo lý
For serious or life threatening emergencies, call 9-1-1