For Better Partnership

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU
We hope to provide you and your family with the best medical care possible. Your feedback and advice are always welcome. A few small but important contributions on your part will help us tremendously in delivering quality care.
1. If you cannot make a scheduled appointment, please tell us
as soon as possible so that we can reschedule that time for
another patient and make a new appointment for you.
2. Always carry your medical coverage information with you when you go for any medical appointment, ER visits and hospital admissions. This will enable us to provide more effective service to you and your family.
3. PLEASE keep us up-to-date on your address and phone number(s) including an emergency phone number. This will greatly improve our ommunication with you.
4. Please call us before coming to the clinic or Emergency Department for an unscheduled visit. The more notice you give us, the faster we can see you when you arrive.
5. Try to be seen for medical problems in the clinic whenever possible. We discourage routine visits to the Emergency Room. The ER does not offer comprehensive services, and should be reserved only for true emergencies which develop outside of clinic days.                                                     6.  Remember that the Sickle Cell Center is here to serve you and your family. If you are happy or unhappy about something we are doing, please let us know. We will do everything we can to meet your needs.                                  

Keep for your record important information concerning your medical history and care:
1. Blood Type
2 Average Values of
Hemoglobin _______
Hematocrit _________
3. Allergies
4. Current Medications:
5. Date of last medical interventions:
- Ophthalmology Visit
- Gyn Visit
- Pneumovax Vaccine

HEALTH MAINTENANCE
Health maintenance includes prevention, early recognition and treatment of complications, and continuing patient education. Well-patient visits provide a better psychological setting for the development of effective health provider-patient relationships. The development of such relationships may result in fewer Emergency Room visits and hospitalizations. Therefore, we encourage you to adhere to the following suggestions:
1. Have regular medical evaluations every 6 months.
2. See an ophthalmologist for an annual eye examination.
3. See a dentist every 6 months.
4. All female patients should have a gynecology evaluation every year.
5. Get an annual influenza vaccine and a pneumococcal vaccine every 5-7 years.
6. Avoid excessive use of alcohol.
7. Refrain from smoking and using illegal drugs.
8. Pursue your vocational goals.

Patient Advocate Program for Better Hospital Experiences at Duke
Box 3650, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
Tel. (919) 681-2020
For non-medical requests you may have - anything from information about hospital and community services, to serving as a witness for Advance Directives (usually referred to as a Living Will and/or Power of Attorney) to "how do I get a daily newspaper?" you may contact the patient the volunteers of the Patient Advocate Program. Volunteers with this program focus on helping our patients at Duke Hospital have a more comfortable hospital stay.

What to expect from the Duke Sickle Cell Center Team
Although there is always a Hematologist on call to address your medical needs (the hematologist on call may be reach by dialing the Duke operator at 919-684-8111), you may always contact the staff at the center for assistance with meddical and non-medical issues regarding your health maintemance and your visit to the Duke ED or the Duke Hospital. We expect to provide you with the best medical care presently available to our knowledge and we expect to treat you respectfully always.