Find the Nearest ER and Navigate to It Using This IOS Shortcut
Often in the early stages of a medical emergency, there is a moment when you know something is wrong, but you are not sure if you want to call 911. When I reacted to some antibiotics earlier this year, I developed hives, I looked at my phone about 15 minutes before calling 911 – I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what to do and I wasn’t sure if the problem was so urgent that I needed an ambulance, which is real expense, even if you have insurance.
We found an iOS shortcut via Reddit that might help mitigate this scenario and the like. The label “Find the nearest emergency room care” offers you the go button to emergency medical care, but the one that gives you more information and enhance your opportunity when you have a medical emergency that requires a hospital, but you do not know how you want to deal with it.
As the name suggests, this shortcut uses your GPS and maps to find hospitals and emergency departments near you. After creating this list, you can select a hospital to get directions on foot, by car or public transport; order Uber; or call 911. Even if you’re worried, the label is structured in such a way that you can decide what to do and will show you exactly how to do it.
By default, the shortcut shows you everything within a 10 km radius (just over 6 miles), which is normal for many cities, but you can expand the range as much as you like.
There is one potential glitch you should be aware of – this shortcut requires you to give the shortcut access to location data and enable its notifications. It will prompt you to turn everything on the first time you start, and you should do it now instead of waiting for an emergency.
This process is definitely slower than dialing 911. If you have a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment, we still recommend that you choose 911. If you are in one of those intermediate locations where you do not know what to do, although it may be helpful.
Updated Nov 5 at 12:21 pm ET: Added shortcut links and Reddit recommendation post.