Preparing for Your Visit
Whether you are referred to the Frederick Health Wound Care & Hyperbaric
Medicine by your physician or you referred yourself, you can expect your
visit to be streamlined and efficient. Since we do a very thorough evaluation
of your wound and entire medical history at your first visit, you should
expect it to last about 90 minutes, from beginning to end.
To save some time during your visit, we ask that you please:
-
Print off the medical history forms and fill them out in advance.
- Review all of your current medications, and bring in a list of them with
correct spelling, dosages, frequency and prescribing doctor. This also
includes vitamins, supplements and any herbal medications.
- Bring in a list of other doctors that you are seeing and what conditions
they are monitoring.
Parking
Complimentary valet parking is available at the hospital's main entrance.
Just pull up to the front door and our professional valets will take care
of the rest. Parking for wound care patients is also available on the
east side hospital parking lot, facing Trail Avenue. You will also notice
a little picnic area on that side as well. The Wound Center is located
on the lower level of the hospital. Come in the Discharge Entrance, make
the first right, follow the Wound Care signs to the elevator, take the
elevator to the basement. Make a quick right and then a quick left off
the elevator and we're right there!
Registration
When you first arrive to the center, you will be greeted by the front desk
staff, who will review your registration materials. You will be asked
for proof of identity, so please make sure you bring your driver's license
or other form of photo identification with you. We will also be making
a copy of your insurance card to keep on file.
Your Medical Visit
When it is time for your visit, you will be taken to an exam room by a
medical assistant. On the way, you will have your height and weight measured,
and then your vital signs, including temperature and blood pressure will
be taken. The clinician, a specially trained wound care nurse or therapist,
will then see you and work with the medical assistant to obtain your medical
history as well as your "wound history". The clinician will remove your
dressing, clean and measure your wound, photograph the wound so progress
of healing can be monitored, then contact the Attending wound care physician.
The Attending wound care physician will review your chart and medical
history, perform a brief medical exam, then review the wound history with
the clinician.
After the initial assessment is completed by the Attending wound care physician
and clinician, a treatment plan will be developed and then discussed with
you. The physician and clinician will teach you or your caregiver how
to perform dressing changes and how to monitor the wound. If needed, special
tests like x-rays or ultrasound may be ordered.
A follow up visit, usually in about 2 to 4 weeks will be scheduled for
you, and the visit will be considered complete. Follow up visits will
be arranged with the attending wound care physician, with the referring
specialist physician, or other specialists as needed. If you have any
questions regarding your wound care during your time at home, you are
encouraged to call us
240-566-3840.
Pain Management
Many wounds can be painful, and the pain can come from different causes.
Uncontrolled swelling, poor blood supply, infection, or just exposure
to the air can all cause the wound to become more painful. If the wound
is painful, the physician will do a careful examination of your wound
and review your recent medical history to identify the cause of the pain.
If pain medications are needed, the treating physician may prescribe pain
medications on a very limited basis. This is primarily because pain medications
can have significant side effects with your other medical conditions.
If chronic pain control is needed, we will refer you back to your primary
care physician or a pain management specialist to address your pain control needs.
Wound Care Supplies
During each appointment, the team will work with the patient to determine
the best type of wound dressings (specialty bandages) needed to help healing.
Each insurance company has different coverage benefits and requirements
for the dressings so please make sure you check with your policy to see
if there is coverage. The specialty dressings are a covered benefit for
Medicare patients.
Home Health and Nursing Home Patients
Patients with wounds frequently are require assistance at home for learning
to manage their wounds and illnesses so we are able to coordinate with
any of the home health care agencies in the vicinity. All home care patients
must be seen by a physician during each and every visit to our Center
so please make sure you advise us if you have home care services for any reason.
Frequently patients with wounds are discharged from the hospital to a nursing
home for further care or a resident of a nursing home may develop a wound
for a variety of reasons. We are able to see patients from nursing homes
and work closely with the nursing home staff to establish and appropriate
plan of care, get the needed diagnostic tests and ensure continuing follow up care.