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Previous Volume 353:331-333 July 28, 2005 Number 4 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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When I was a resident in emergency medicine, I spent many hours uncovering the identities of John Doe and Jane Doe patients who were unconscious, disoriented, or mute. I searched their belongings for receipts that included an address or scanned their clothing labels for a clue. Sometimes this worked. Often, hours or days passed before a family member was found who knew the patient's medical history and health care preferences. By that time, substantial worry had been endured, and often possibly unwanted medical interventions had occurred.

Today, I lead the information-technology efforts at an academic health center, and I have . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

Dr. Halamka is the chief information officer at the CareGroup Healthcare System and an emergency physician at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston.

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