TMC - slowest ER ever!! (lawyers, buying, costs) - Tucson - Arizona (AZ) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

odinloki1 · 09-23-2008, 02:15 PM

Well if we're going to go on that tangent.

1. Socialized health care. Yes I know economic redistribution, and socialism and all that crap that right wing pundits say. Work in an ER and see all the people that some in that are just big disease incubators waiting to infect the rest of us. 99 out of 100 people know if something is wrong. Having some form of coverage so people will get seen without worrying about payment and can get treated earlier would be better than people being a breeding ground for some of the worst bacteria we have and last I checked you're in contact with quite a few people throughout the day, wouldn't you like to feel they're as disease free as possible, not a walking infection waiting to spread to you?

2. Increased number of health care workers. Too many people working way too many hours. Some of these nurses work 5-6 12 hour shifts a week in that environment, and there are no breaks on busy nights. Last night I sat down for about a total of 15 minutes to chart info the rest of the time I was standing and running around. Luckily I was able to eat while walking back from the bathroom. Now imagine 3-5 12 hour nights like that a week and imagine how it affects the rest of your life. I know very few people that can separate home and work that well.

3. PCPs should work in small groups and be available longer hours or have to pull shifts in the ER to keep their licenses. Because we cover their patients 2/3 of the day! Last night alone I had 3 patients come in in the middle of the night saying "my cardiologist/PCP said to come in" and when then that doc is nowhere to be found. They really want to tell me that a resident or ER doc knows their patient better than they do? I understand they need their days off like all of us, but specialists ad PCPs should also be available all hours of the day. What happened to the good old days of house calls.

4. Developers can't build until adequate infrastructure, including hospitals are constructed. Overexpansion without ability to maintain. (Personally I think thats Arizonas new state motto)

5. Better detox. We know a lot of specific drunks and drug abusers by name, and again, they are disease incubators. We need to have some place where these guys can be put for months to become detoxed and rehabed not an overnight stay at the hospital and being having 5 ER visits a month. They'll never get cleaned up if its just a revolving door.

I have more but I'm tired and am just returning from class and need to sleep for tonight.

odinloki1 · 09-23-2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stan4

Don't need to know if you're pregnant before doing xrays of anything except lower torso. O/w can use lead shield. If they did lower back xrays, pelvis xray, or abdominal xrays, then maybe you should do a pregnancy test, though there is no data to support that one simple xray has enough radiation to screw anything up (now it's just CYA).

Mondays are the worst in EDs. No way around it.

Yeah last night we had 68 in the lobby at one point. Imagine that many impatient sick people with angry/concerned family..........

stan4 · 09-23-2008, 02:23 PM

Don't have to imagine. Worst we had was 60+ practically every night during the winter with 13 to 18 hour waits. That was on the border. Where I work now, it's a sin to have more than 1.5 hour wait...

michael krotchie · 09-23-2008, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odinloki1

Yeah last night we had 68 in the lobby at one point. Imagine that many impatient sick people with angry/concerned family..........

That is amazing. This thread has really opened my eyes to the reality of our healthcare system (I knew it was bad but hearing it from the frontlines is completely different).

Haven't chimed in to this thread yet but mdtoaz hope you're back to normal soon!

mdtoaz · 09-24-2008, 09:38 AM

Stan - thanks for the info re: the x-ray. That makes sense.

Michael - thanks for the well wishes... I'm getting there.

And Odinloki - great post. Can I write you in in November?

Another thing that I've read about recently, and even experienced back in Maryland are some doctors are trying to do "concierge medicine". I had a PCP back in MD that I absolutely loved. After using her for about 3 years, I received a letter from her office saying that beginning the following year, if I wanted to remain a patient I would have to pay her a premium of $1800 for the year. This was supposedly to ensure that I would be able to have shorter waiting times to schedule an appointment and to have more comprehensive care. Obviously my insurance would laugh if I tried to be reimbursed for the $1800 (I don't even think my flex would cover that). Plus, on top of that I'd still have to pay the normal copays, coinsurance, etc. I'm a pretty healthy gal, and had really only seen her for routine services and for allergy/sinus things. Needless to say, I didn't fork out the $1800.

Recently there was a news story in the Tucson Citizen regarding concierge medicine. BC/BS are threatening to drop contracts with doctors engaging in this practice. I'm just curious what others out there think about doctors doing this. Should doctors be allowed to do this? Is it ethical to squeeze out a number of their patients in this way?

odinloki1 · 09-24-2008, 09:47 AM

Sure, I'm way to left for most people's taste when it comes to economic matters though.

michael krotchie · 09-24-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdtoaz

Recently there was a news story in the Tucson Citizen regarding concierge medicine. BC/BS are threatening to drop contracts with doctors engaging in this practice. I'm just curious what others out there think about doctors doing this. Should doctors be allowed to do this? Is it ethical to squeeze out a number of their patients in this way?

Why not? If it's a private practice then shouldn't the business owner dictate the terms?

I suppose if the government really wanted to help they could make medical school more affordable, subsidize doctors, or allow more doctors into the country.

How about that?

mdtoaz · 09-24-2008, 02:48 PM

I get that, but at the same time, it seems like there's already such a huge disparity in healthcare between the wealthy and lower/middle classes. I think this type of practice would just widen that gap. But on the flip-side of the coin, medicine is business and we are supposed to be a capitalist society.

I've tried to think if I would have paid that extra money somehow if I had some kind of recurring illness. It simply didn't make sense to shell out that much for routine services (not that I have extra money readily available), but it seems sad to think that someone might have to settle for less care because they don't have that kind of money.

sierraAZ · 09-24-2008, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdtoaz

medicine is business and we are supposed to be a capitalist society

The keywords being supposed to be!

Chowhound · 09-24-2008, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael krotchie

Why not? If it's a private practice then shouldn't the business owner dictate the terms?

I suppose if the government really wanted to help they could make medical school more affordable, subsidize doctors, or allow more doctors into the country.

How about that?

I heard/read somewhere that part of the reason for the medical care cost so much is that there is a shortage of doctors. I don't know if this is true but the AMA (American Medical Association) somehow limits the number of doctors that are certified.

That some people claim that they also dictate common practices in the medical industry. For example they petition against certain procedures and common ailments that people must see a doctor, instead of a nurse practitioner or some other "lower" professional.

That things like this is also what is driving up costs.

Don't know if any of this is true, just thinking out loud.