Condition Reports
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Below are the standard five one-word conditions used at MeritCare. In order to release any of the following conditions, media staff or the house administrators must have consent from either the patient or the patient's spouse, parents or immediate family.
- Satisfactory — Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.
- Guarded — Vital signs are stable and within normal limits, but monitoring is advisable. Patient is conscious buy may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.
- Serious — Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.
- Critical — Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.
- Dead — In order to release that a person has died, media staff or the house administrator have to obtain consent from the patient's spouse, parents or immediate family.
Additional Condition Information
There are times that patients are treated in MeritCare's Emergency Center and are then released or are admitted to one of MeritCare's hospital locations and are then either released, or are tranferred to another health care facility.
- Treated and released — This means that the patient has been treated in MeritCare's Emergency Center and has been released. Without the patient/family's written consent, staff is unable to release the date and time of discharge.
- Treated and transferred — This means that the patient has been treated and transferred to another health-care facility. Without the patient/family's written consent, staff is unable to release the name of the facility, the date and time of transfer.
- Hospitalized and transferred — This means that the patient was hospitalized at MeritCare and has been transferred to another health care facility. Without the patient/family's written consent, staff is unable to release the name of the facility, the date and time of transfer.
Hospitalized Patient Directory
Hospitalized patients have the option of choosing to either be in MeritCare's patient directory, which means that we can release that they are/were here, or opting out of the directory, which means that we cannot acknowledge that they are/were here.