Nearly everyone has a camera on their phone nowadays, and nearly everyone uses it far too much. However it can come in incredibly helpful. Patients often facebook/instagram/snapchat their medical issue before calling for help, which – while incredibly unwise – does mean that most people, especially young people, have a picture or video of the events leading to the injury, or the rash from a few days ago.
You can use this to your advantage. A dated photo from when they first noticed a rash will tell you at least how long it has been there, while a video of a child’s seizure will help you work out what’s causing it.
Just remember – don’t break confidentiality, and don’t do anything you wouldn’t want your Mum’s doctor to do.
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