On Twitter earlier today, someone inadvertently brought to my attention an article called Making The Most Of Your Emergency Room Visit.

I thought, for part of it anyway, that the premise of the story was incomplete. In essence, the article gives the hospital ER's perspective of what their perfect patient would be that's coming to the emergency room. And if this was an utopia I would say that what they recommend makes sense.

However, this isn't that kind of world, so out of the 7 tips they give, 4 of them don't work for the general population when it comes to emergency room visits. Though I hope you go and read the article, because, hey, you may decide to do it for everyone, it's really meant more for the elderly patient who might have to be taken to the ER. It's recommendation of having a list of medications and a copy of past surgical and medical history; please! Here's a question; how many of you who aren't already in healthcare even know what a health care proxy is?

Here's some realistic tips.

One, always have identification on you. Believe it or not, many people show up to the emergency room with no proof of who they are. If they're conscious, at least you can talk to them, but if not, the people who bring them in might not have a clue as to last name or phone numbers. At least with identification, there's the possibility of contacting a family member.

Two, always carry your insurance cards. Those things should always be in your wallet or purse, and there's no real excuse not to be carrying them around; that is, if you're in the United States.

Three, try to go to the emergency room of the hospital where your physician has privileges. If you don't know which hospital it is, find out. If something serious happens to you and you have to be admitted, it's a lot easier getting medical records from a physician's office where the physician has privileges, and can actually help to treat you, than if you're at another hospital where your doctor can't do anything for you.

Those are the big three; everything else, you're pretty much playing by ear. If you're coming from home and have some time, yes, put some of the stuff together that's recommended in the other article, especially if you're noticing an allergic reaction; information is always key in helping emergency rooms diagnose your issue.