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Open Contact

Open Contact is an offer for those who, due to developments in their illness or disease, may need emergency admission to the hospital. This programme is a supplement, not a substitute for primary health care and treatment. The patient, his or her family or the primary health service must be able to contact the hospital department to clarify any issues related to the illness or treatment for which the patient has been admitted.

​Before you return home from the hospital, you will have a conversation with a doctor who will inform you about your illness, the treatment you have received and about the expected development of the disease. You will also receive information about how and in which cases Open Contact is available for you. 

If hospitalisation is deemed necessary, you will be admitted to the department without having to go through the emergency room. You should expect some waiting at the department in any case. You may also not be able to go straight to the bed ward in the department you contacted.

The role of your family doctor

Your family doctor/GP will receive thorough information about your illness and the treatment you received, and that you are eligible for Open Contact. Your family doctor is an important link between you and the hospital. He/she will be informed about your treatment and condition on an ongoing basis. Your family doctor will be the one to contact first, especially for health problems that are not directly related to your illness or disease, and will be the one who has the main responsibility when you are not admitted to the hospital.

In the future, you will have more or less regular contact with our department/outpatient clinic for treatment and/or follow-up of your disease. We leave the need for further sick leave and new prescriptions to your family doctor as far as possible.

Treatment at home​

It may not always be necessary to be admitted to the hospital. Your doctor and/or home care services will often be able to treat you at home.

We recommend establishing contact with the contact nurse in your municipality. This is a good way to have a contact person close by at any time.​

If hospitalisation or assistance is required​

​If admission is required, the nurse at the department will contact the emergency department and tell them that you are coming. If you need an ambulance, the nurse will order it.

Upon arrival at the hospital, please contact the emergency department. Please take this information with you. The doctor there will examine you and take any blood samples that are needed.

If you call the hospital and need help, there are some questions that the nurse in the department will ask to get an overview of your situation.

  • Do you live alone? Are you alone now, or is there someone with you?
  • Do you have the agreement in front of you, and do you know what applies to you? 
  • Have you contacted the home care services? Do you want us to do that?
  • Have you contacted your family doctor/GP, and can you get hold of your family doctor in this situation?

  • Is this a new situation for you?
  • Has the situation gotten rapidly worse lately? (how fast? minutes? hours? days?)
  • ​Is the situation different, or have you experienced similar situations before? Infection: Are you getting chemotherapy, and how long has it been since your last treatment?
  • ​Are you bleeding? Do you have a fever?
  • ​Do you have other signs of infection such as coughing, burning sensation when urinating, frequent urination?

  •  Are you in pain?
  • How is the pain, stabbing, burning, aching. Where does it hurt?
  • ​How strong is it, on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is the strongest? Are you nauseous? Are you vomiting? How often and appearance.
  • ​Do you get food and drink?
  • ​Are you constipated? Has it been a long time since you have had a bowel movement? How is it with urination; is it a problem/abnormal? How is your breathing?

  •  How are you feeling? Active, lethargic, anxious, drowsy?
  • ​Can you wait until tomorrow if you try the advice we give you? (by phone in the evening/night)

  •  How is your family doing?
  • ​Do your relatives agree with the decision we made?
  • Clarify any transport to the hospital: private car, taxi or ambulance.
  • In case of emergency situations, call 113​

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Your contact information (print out and fill in)

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Name:

Diagnosis:

Doctor responsible for the patient:

Primary care nurse:

Department/ward, Tel.:

Permanent group:

Family doctor, Tel.:

Home care nurse, Tel.:

For what conditions can I use the Open Contact programme:




















 

Stavanger University Hospital (2023)


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Last updated 11/4/2023