Quote:
Originally Posted by lisalan
Why does it take me going to the 4 differnet Dr's before one is competent enought to diagnose that both my kids have ear and throat infections???? I am so pi$$ed off.
Also, I brought my daughter. to the Dr for a follow up visit for bowel issues. I decided to bring my 8 month old along as she was coughing and had a fever. My regular pediatrician was away but they work in the same office. So after checking my daughter I politley ask if he can have a quick look at my 8 month old. She didn't have an appointment. Well he says : "No, I'm all alone today and I have a medical student here. Bring her to a clinic tonight! "He then leaves and doesn't even tell me when to bring my daughter back in for the bowel issues. Could he not have been a little less rude? My mom came with me and both of us were like  .
So then I had to drag my poor 8 month old and 2 1/2 year old to another Dr. They both have ear and throat infections and need antibiotics. The first Dr. checked my 2 1/2 year old and said she was FINE.
Thanks for letting me vent. I feel like its all about money these days. Why be a pediatrician if you can't stand kids???? |
If you wanted your younger child to be seen, why didn't you just make an appointment? Just because both children are in the exam room at the same time doesn't mean they are filling one appointment slot. Would you be willing to wait hours past your appointment time because every parent ahead of you wanted one or two additional kids to be seen when only one had an appointment? And you cannot get two kids seen for one copay. Doesn't work that way.
These days, most pediatricians will take a wait and see approach to ear and throat infections. Most are caused by viruses, not bacteria, and will resolve without antibiotics. Bacteria are wily beasts. They develop resistance to antibiotics, and the antibiotics eventually become less effective. We can postpone the day when antibiotics become useless by limiting the exposure of the bacteria to the drugs. That being said, once the antibiotic is started, it should be finished. There should never be an unfinished antibiotic prescription in your home. If the doctor who prescribed it tells you to stop it, throw it away. Do not use it for another presumed infection. It may be that the doc who did not want to prescribe the antibiotic was actually wiser than the one who did.
As far as the money is concerned, pediatricians do not make as much as you might think, and most do it because they do like children. Unfortunately, a few years ago, our wonderful government decided that medicine should be run like a business. Doctors should compete with one another in order to bring the cost of medicine down. They now advertise. There was a time when advertising was considered unethical! Well, competition works very nicely when you have a choice to buy or not to buy that new automobile. You decide what you want, then you comparison shop. Then you buy the car --- or you don't. Purchasing medical care is different. Do you necessarily want to see the cheapest doc? That may be a practice that uses a lot of "midlevel" providers, who may be very good, but they are not physicians, and you may not ever see an actual physician. And many practices, especially if they see a significant number of Medicaid patients, are barely profitable enough for the doc to take a salary. He or she only gets paid after all the employees and the rent and the utilities are paid and the office supplies are purchased.
As far as prevention of respiratory and ear infections in children is concerned, one of the best things you can do is totally prevent exposure to second hand smoke. No one smokes in your home, and you do not allow them in places where people are smoking. If they have allergies, learn what you need to do at home to reduce or eliminate the things they are allergic to. Dust mites and pet dander (skin cells) are biggies, so vacuuming often, eliminating carpet and drapes if practical, and banning pets from bedrooms can be a big help.
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