What Should be in Every Doctor's Bag

The Huffington Post reports: "For much of America's history, [home visits by doctors were] the norm. Home visits died when medical insurance replaced pay-as-you-go, and administrative costs and malpractice insurance fees forced doctors to abandon individual practices and join together in groups. By the early 1970s, fewer than 1 percent of doctors made house calls.

"Now, doctors visiting the sick in their homes seems to be in vogue again. The doctor still carries a little black bag, but a laptop bag, too."

The reason for the growing numbers of doctors willing to do house calls again is a Medicare policy change ten years ago that increased reimbursement for home visits. That change mostly involved house calls to the home bound. But having a traveling bag is a good idea for all doctors and nurses, even those who don't typically do house calls.

An EMT might need an ADC 1024 Nylon Medical Equipment Bag more than a family doctor, but an emergency can happen anywhere, at anytime. What should a doctor carry in his bag? What are the essential medical equipment and supplies for medical exams and more?

A doctor's medical bag should include disposables-- tongue depressors and various medical applicators bandages, exam gloves, and a variety of hand wipes. Doctors need medical stethoscopes, medical thermometers, some basic medical instruments, including precision medical scissors and shears and safe clip needle disposal.

A doctor's bag should also contain a traveling sphygmomanometer, a pen light and some first aid medications, including anti-allergy medication and aspirin. A doctor who knows the illness or problem faced in the visit can tailor the medical equipment and supplies for the situation.

House calls are not common, but as medicine and society changes, anything is possible. Doctors need medical equipment and supplies, but today they also need laptops, iPhones, and iPads.