Better health

By Rick

September 17, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this

My wife, an RN of 18 years spent 2 of those working in the ER. The confusion is why do people come to the er to get treatment for a cold? They come in with back pain, “how long has your back been hurting?” “About 3 months, but I got off early today and thought I’d drop by.” Then you have the drug seekers, who always have a soft tissue injury that does not show up on x-ray,mri or ct. But they are in in incredible pain and need meds now! The best one was a women who called 911 @ 3:30am, when the paramedic’s responded she claimed her pubic hair was all falling out. People use the er for a clinic because they have no intention of paying the bill. They give false names, false address. It is far too difficult to get a job and buy health ins. I have to buy auto, Home and life ins. So why would I not buy health ins. You have to be the king in stupid to go thru life without health ins. If you cannot afford it ,it means you have not yet developed the job skills that are in need. For Gods sake do not breed.

By jeff

September 17, 2008 1:35 PM | Link to this

‘You have to be the king in stupid to go thru life without health ins’. OR, maybe you have a pre-existing condition like diabetes or hypertension and nobody will write you health insurance at ANY price!!

By Rosco

September 17, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this

I worked as an RN in the ER at Grady Hospital from 1995 to 2002. people abuse the ER for various reasons, no health insurance, no money to pay for a PCP visit, too lazy to get a PCP….the reasons are endless. However, we (the public) have no one to blame but ourselves. We have made laws that make it illegal for an ER to turn away ANYONE seeking medical attention. I have seen people get treated for a toothache in the ER, get a prescription, get discharged ONLY to turn around and sign BACK IN to be seen for ear pain because they have no where else to go and it’s cold outside. This has got to stop. Start making people responsible for their own health care. If you are discharged from the ER and YOU don’t understand your discharge instructions…..ASK for clarification. It is YOUR responsibility.

By Rosco

September 17, 2008 1:55 PM | Link to this

I worked as an RN in the ER at Grady Hospital from 1995 to 2002. people abuse the ER for various reasons, no health insurance, no money to pay for a PCP visit, too lazy to get a PCP….the reasons are endless. However, we (the public) have no one to blame but ourselves. We have made laws that make it illegal for an ER to turn away ANYONE seeking medical attention. I have seen people get treated for a toothache in the ER, get a prescription, get discharged ONLY to turn around and sign BACK IN to be seen for ear pain because they have no where else to go and it’s cold outside. This has got to stop. Start making people responsible for their own health care. If you are discharged from the ER and YOU don’t understand your discharge instructions…..ASK for clarification. It is YOUR responsibility.

By Jim

September 17, 2008 2:05 PM | Link to this

It’s not just the ER…

I just had several teeth extracted, and the post op instructions consisted of one page basically telling me how to bite on a piece of gauze. Not a word about dry sockets, no warning not to rinse too soon, nothing about infection.

The last time I was in the hospital, I was admitted after a very serious wreck. When I left, my follow up instructions consisted of one prescription, one page of to do’s, and a business card with a follow up appointment scheduled for two months down the road. Again, nothing pertinent to my situation, just generic instructions, most likely crafted as a CYA effort by the legal department. I didn’t find out until two months later that they’d mis-scheduled my follow up-it was supposed to be two weeks, not months.

Then there was the open lung biopsy, done as outpatient surgery. I was told to change the dressing in two days. When I tried to, I found that whoever had applied the initial dressing hadn’t bothered with any kind of non stick pad, so the open (non sterile) weave gauze was applied to, and had now grown into, the wound. Took my GP about 40 minutes to pull all the threads out.

As for the “no insurance” nonsense-I realize that some people go to the ER for the wrong reasons, but don’t act like not having insurance is always a personal choice. Like the poster said about the pre-existing conditions, some people just can’t get it, and may not have any choice.

By MrsJ

September 17, 2008 2:16 PM | Link to this

Well, I have insurance and a great paying job. I had to go the emergency room for abdominal pain, flank pain, and nausea. I went to my doctor 2 days prior and received medication for Kidney infection. I was told if the pain got worse to go the ER. Well, the pain got worse and I went to the ER. They ran a couple of test and told me I was having “pelvic” pain, usually cause by my female parts. Well I was blown away, due to the fact, I don’t have any female parts, they were removed in 2005. So I was told to continue my medications and was sent on my merry way. What in the world? Heck, all they (Doctor’s)are doing is “practicing”. Half the time they don’t have a clue as to the diagnosis or how to treat you.

By Ronda

September 17, 2008 2:20 PM | Link to this

Some people fall through the cracks and some people can’t read the paperwork given to them. I think slowly over time our nation has dumbed itself down and people expect to be spoon fed. You have to ask questions because its too many people you have to deal with - registration, triage nurse, ER nurse, doctor, another ER nurse. Things need to be more electronic so that there is a system of inputing data every time you touch a file whether it be taking a temp or test results back. Then the person following up after a shift change or change in person can keep track of where the patient is in the system. There should also be something electronic that notifies a health coordinator that someone has been waiting more than 30-45 minutes since the last contact. That health coordinator then gets an update and informs the patient and moves things along if necessary.

By culata faz

September 17, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this

No habla ingles.

By Jane

September 17, 2008 2:56 PM | Link to this

Went to the ER after an accident - I waited 5 days expecting to be sore and banged up (after all it was a car accident) -the physician on duty was due for dinner during the time I was there he ate while treating me. The results of the x-rays did not come back timely so they had to request them a second time and he apoligized but since I had been waiting so long he wanted to get me out of there. But after looking at the films he said if you experience any numbness on your left side you will need to come back - so10 days later my neck, face arem and shoulder were going numb - I went back to the ER where they ran massive amounts of tests to discover that I had a concussion they missed the first time around. Yeah, team. I was also told to go see a specific doctor and of course that physician could not see me for three weeks! I am still fighting with the insurance company

By A. Nony Mouse

September 17, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this

My most frustrating visit to the ER was during Flu season. There were a minimum of 75 illeagals in the waiting room. I was there with my daughter who was 7 at the time. She had fainted during church.

I ended up walking out and hoping for the best. I wish we had called an ambulance now.

By BH

September 17, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this

My last ER experience was interesting. I had been throwing up the entire day. Nothing would stay down, not even water. I went there at around 1:00 pm. Sat there for 3 hrs and left. Thinking I would feel better, I stopped and got some ginger ale. Took a few sips felt better. About 30 min. later I was back in throwing up mode again. I tried not to go back but had no choice I was dehydrated. I went back at about 8:00pm and sat for another 2 hours. I was about to leave when they called my name. I went to the back told them what was going on, the dr ran some tests and I had to be admitted for a blood transfusion. Imagine that!! Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected something like this. I was in the hospital for 2 days.

By BH

September 17, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this

oh yeah and I have great health insurance.

By Rick

September 17, 2008 4:09 PM | Link to this

Pre existing condition? You were born with this disease and your parents did not have ins? Maybe you had no ins. got sick and said,”damn , I better get some” Too late. That is no excuse. I was on a heart transplant waiting list and was picked up by my wife’s ins. after we were married. WITH NO WAITING, because I had a private policy I had on myself as I was self-employed.

By UGA_GAL

September 17, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this

Took my son to the ER on a Sunday evening when he had a “foreign object” in his eye. After sitting in the ER waiting room for 4 hours having only given our name, address and insurance info to the registrar, we decided to just wait 4 more hours and see the opthamologist on Monday morning (since it looked like we would not be seen before then in the ER anyway). Imagine my surprise when I received a bill for $250! My son never even saw a triage nurse….no vitals, nothing! Goes without saying that I took the hospital to task over that one…no, it did not get paid (and yes, we have insurance that would have paid it).

By UGA_GAL

September 17, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this

Rick, Sure you can get insurance if you have a pre-existing condition like Type 1 diabetes provided you have an unlimited resource pool. My 28-year old niece lost her job (in the medical field) due to complications related to diabetes. She is now on a COBRA plan that costs her over $1000/month and it will run out in January. When she talks to agents about underwriting a policy, as soon as they find out she is diabetic they apologize and tell her that they cannot help her. Because of her diabetes her doctors are telling her she needs to give up her hopes of continuing to practice in the nursing field because the demands of staying on her feet 10 hours a day are too much for her. What do YOU think she should do?!?! Would you like to help her out with insurance? You are very fortunate that your situation worked out in your favor. Suppose your wife had not had insurance….would your outcome have been different?

By catlady

September 17, 2008 4:57 PM | Link to this

My son went to the er to sew up his finger that had split when hit with a bb bat. they did xrays, etc. when I got the bill we were charged for general anesthesia, a stomach drain, and other things never used.

I went to the ER with a dislocated shoulder. They wanted me to lay down to have an xray taken with my back and shoulder flat on the table. Of course I could not do it. They couldn’t figure out how to take the xray so I suggested that they let me stand in front of the chest xray machine. I was in shock, but I had to take charge!

I have a friend who does admissions and she says the things that people come in with are amazing. Some are pretty pornographic, some are sad, many are a huge waste of taxpayer money. If folks were charged heavily for nonemergency use of the emergency room and strongly persued for payment, we would see this abuse go down. Medicaid, Medicare, and Peachcare are the worst offenders. My insurance company will charge me an extra copay if I go when it is not an emergency—since folks show so little consideration they should pay a hefty penalty.

One of the sorriest things I ever read was in an AARP magazine. It told the elderly to always claim they were having a heart attack so they could go to the front of the line and not have to wait!

By jen

September 17, 2008 5:12 PM | Link to this

I have insurance and was in the ER in Feb, 08 with kidney stone attack. There were few seats to be had due to the crowd of people with the flu. Had to wait a long time in pain with lots of people sneezing and coughing. Finally got help and pumped with more and more drugs until I agreed to leave. The drugs made me more ill than the stones! Also, I must have a pretty good immune system, as I did not get the flu! If you have a decent experience in the ER, it will be your lucky day.

By gafarmer

September 17, 2008 5:28 PM | Link to this

I spent 12 hrs. in Grady E R in Jan. 2005. They literally saved my life according to my family. The following 13 days and surgery went well also; even in an ice storm.

The only negatives were CROWDED FACILITIES and a business office that could be clueless. Even though the paperwork was a hassle at Grady, BC/BS was worse.

FYI The food is better at Grady than Northside/Atlanta but the business office at Northside has their act together.

By Dr Bubba

September 17, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this

Can Rick be for real? How could he possibly be self-employed? He’s too obtuse to even follow a simple thought process. Maybe he is/was a radio talk show host!

The point of this blog was if you’ve been to an ER recently : What was your experience like? Where were you? How well did you interpret the visit?

Too bad your folks didn’t stop breeding. Oh and by the way how was the 20 minute oil change and heart transplant. Pull right in, no waiting for service.

By Rick

September 17, 2008 6:03 PM | Link to this

Dr Bubba, I am still listed for transplant, still waiting. I am fortunate, many die each day waiting. Your comments are crass and show a lack of education. You are no doubt offended at the “stupid “remark about not having insurance. Well , if the shoe fits….

UGA GAL I do not have unlimited resources. and if I had not got on my wifes ins. I would still have the private policy i had to begin with.