Today’s question addresses why emergency personnel ask so many questions when they arrive on a scene.

Requiring emergency assistance is stressful, and often people get confused and irritated by the number of questions that are asked.

We will explore why we need to ask the questions and how the answers to those questions help us help you!

QUESTION: Why is the paramedic asking so many questions? I’m in pain and just want to get to the hospital!

ANSWER: It can be irritating being asked repeated questions and we understand and empathize with how difficult it can be to provide the answers.

It can  be helpful to think of the questions as a puzzle that the EMS crew is trying to solve to best treat you.

The types of questions that may be asked are:  Where are you hurt? When did your pain start? What medications are you are taking? Do you have any allergies?, etc. The answers to these questions, along with the paramedics’ assessment of vital signs, cardiac rhythm and other assessments are used to determine the best course of treatment for you.

These questions and assessments also are used to alert the hospital of what to expect when you, the patient, arrives.

In some instances, the answers to these questions allow us to provide medications to treat the symptoms and provide pain relief during transportation.