A Doctor's unprofessional conduct

[kharing]

Here's why I feel that there is more to the story. I don't disagree that physicians can and do act inappropriately, but the fact that security was called and escorted the OP and patient out of the hospital, just doesn't add up.

All hospitals have code systems. This would have been a "Code Gray" used for combative patients. It is only used in the most extreme situations. For someone to get kicked out of the ER, it would take something completely out of the norm of character for this to happen. Also, physicians are not the first to see the patient, the ER nurse or PA is. I would like to hear more about their argument because no patient is allowed to just walk out of the ER without being formally discharged. Security just doesn't take the physician's side, if it is a Joint Commission certified medical facility, everyone on staff knows to follow procedures and standards of care. There's more to the story, people.

Also the story is different....you said in a previous post that the post nasal drip has been a problem for a year. Now it's only six months?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Whatsthenews

Quite simply- a MD in the UK would NEVER speak to a patient like that. The may sometimes be a little off hand or seem like they're preoccupied or not very interested, but that's about it. If they did then
I used to think the MDs in the UK were bad-but that was before I came to live in the US.
I'm still bemused as to why healthcare is so expensive when it's at best the same as in Europe and at worst nowhere near as good.

your post really has little to do with the OPs entry. So you don't like our system, that is the way it goes, but it has nothing to do with this thread and further more, I have a little problem with what the OP is posting. Not all doctors are cut out for the profession as has been stated. We have a family member who recently retired. He was a well known cardiologist in Md and the head of the cath lab, at Johns Hopkins for awhile. He might have been a great surgeon but he had no personality and admitted he should have stuck with teaching med instead of being a doctor.

That being said, I am having trouble believing the OPs story as he is telling it. ::

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by kharing

Here's why I feel that there is more to the story. I don't disagree that physicians can and do act inappropriately, but the fact that security was called and escorted the OP and patient out of the hospital, just doesn't add up.

All hospitals have code systems. This would have been a "Code Gray" used for combative patients. It is only used in the most extreme situations. For someone to get kicked out of the ER, it would take something completely out of the norm of character for this to happen. Also, physicians are not the first to see the patient, the ER nurse or PA is. I would like to hear more about their argument because no patient is allowed to just walk out of the ER without being formally discharged. Security just doesn't take the physician's side, if it is a Joint Commission certified medical facility, everyone on staff knows to follow procedures and standards of care. There's more to the story, people.

Also the story is different....you said in a previous post that the post nasal drip has been a problem for a year. Now it's only six months?

Since security was called, it does sound like the family got out of control after the doctor was so rude to the patient. But you're wrong about people not being allowed to just walk out of the ER. I've done it a few times in my life. Nobody can keep you hostage. Regardless of how the family overreacted, the doctor should not have spoken to the patient like he did.

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Since security was called, it does sound like the family got out of control after the doctor was so rude to the patient. But you're wrong about people not being allowed to just walk out of the ER. I've done it a few times in my life. Nobody can keep you hostage. Regardless of how the family overreacted, the doctor should not have spoken to the patient like he did.

I'm not believing that the doctor was rude. I'm not believing any of the post. I think the whole thing was made up to create drama on the forum. Think about it - if the OP isn't telling us what caused security to toss the bunch of them out - what else is he not telling us? If he's changing the info from one thread to another (one thread says she's had this post nasal problem for a year, another says only six months), what other things are being made up and revised as the OP goes along? The whole thing probably never happened at all and he's just making the entire story up. That's the more likely situation.

[kharing]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Since security was called, it does sound like the family got out of control after the doctor was so rude to the patient. But you're wrong about people not being allowed to just walk out of the ER. I've done it a few times in my life. Nobody can keep you hostage. Regardless of how the family overreacted, the doctor should not have spoken to the patient like he did.

I agree that patients can and do refuse care and walk out. I did read that the patient had an elevated BP and there was talk of not being able to breath (but able to ask for an apology) and potential shock? Come on, if these symptoms were present, the team would be liable for refusing to treat. That would be a better lawsuit than complaining about a rude physician that refused to apologize, right?

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by AnonChick

I'm not believing that the doctor was rude. I'm not believing any of the post. I think the whole thing was made up to create drama on the forum.

I'm not feeling any drama except from those who are saying the OP is a farce. Is your pot that easily stirred?

[SoulJourn]

Originally Posted by kharing

Sounds like there's something missing from the story. I work in the ER and there are so many people around that would have witnessed this. Your wife was "seen" by the physician, and would have to be discharged, even with security. Just doesn't sound right.

No there is nothing missing except competent medical care. There was no one in the Emergency room except for the receptionist and the nurse, who was actually in a plexiglass cubical.
He was rude to my wife in the treatment room.

1. By barging into the curtained off treatment area, before she was dressed and while she was still disrobed and putting on the hospital gown.

2.He reprimanded her about the sounds she was making and told her to stop and that it was "disgusting". My wife said that she would stop making the sounds than annoyed him if she could but that was the problem and that's why she was there.

He then said "You could stop doing that if you wanted!STOP IT"

She said I can't. You are incredibly rude.

All this time this man stood there arguing with a woman who was obviously suffering. She was also HALF DRESSED and holding a blouse up to cover her chest.

She requested an apology (requested not demanded) He said "I will NOT apologist!" and told us to "Get OUT". So she said "Fine I'm leaving". We did NOT argue - by then the idea of being examined by this individual was repulsive to us.

There was no need to call security. We wanted to leave.

My guess is that he wanted to have an excuse for not treating her. He could have told security that we threatened him, used profanity - any number of things.

Then it becomes an incident that he can chart. So basically he can make up what ever he wants.

Do you think that security guards who are being paid 8$ an hour are going to argue with a doctor?

We have since found out that he is not actually an employee of the hospital but of an ER Doctor's registry that sends doctors to understaffed hospitals.

From what I can piece together he was annoyed because his shift was 3/4s over and he didn't want to work.

He probably did not want to treat whatever my wife has because he was afraid of catching it.
The constant gagging and spitting into a bag is disgusting. It's horrible. Especially for my wife.

Doctors do need to deal with situations that are at times "disgusting". Calling a patient in obvious distress "disgusting" and refusing to treat her unless she "stopped her symptoms" is outrageous.

If you want to "disbelieve" that this incident occurred be my guest. But I'm not engaging in that particular conversation.

What I am doing is writing a letter to the Patient Care Liaison and obtaining a copy of my wife's medical records.

If anyone has any other productive ideas, I am interested.

Why hasn't she seen a doctor yet? Because we are home owners and we do not want to incur a lean on our home. Currently we are uninsured.

We recently found out about a free clinic. She has an appointment to see a doctor there tomorrow.

My wife thinks there is a blockage in her right sinuses and that all of the exudate is staying in her sinuses and just dripping down her throat. She can blow her nose on the left side but not the right.
Mostly it just drips down her throat before she can cough or blow her nose.
It's horrible.

[SoulJourn]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Since security was called, it does sound like the family got out of control after the doctor was so rude to the patient. But you're wrong about people not being allowed to just walk out of the ER. I've done it a few times in my life. Nobody can keep you hostage. Regardless of how the family overreacted, the doctor should not have spoken to the patient like he did.

No. We went willingly. We were not doing anything that would necessitate calling of security.

There is one reason why the doctor made have done this - to cover his own a$$. There was no ruckus or security would have heard it and come on there own.

And yes, you are correct. People leave ERs and hospitals in general "AMA" Against Medical Advice.
The only type of people who may be held are people who are acting in a way that might be a "danger to themselves or others". Psych patients. Even then, unless they are adjudicated a mentally ill they can not be held indefinitely.

We did not create a scene or get "out of control" in any way.

It was reckless of this doctor to ask us to leave with her extreme symptoms and atypical vital signs.
When you think of it, any account on City Data could be altered or even fabricated. I choose to just take posts at face value and not to interrogate other posters. If I find a post irritating, I just move on.

As to discrepancies about how long she has had this - I am not her and I didn't chart it. For a while an over the counter product "Mucinex" along with an antihistamine were making it.
Now they do nothing or very little.

I can say that it's been a chronic condition. When she controlled it, she never complained about it and I admit that I really didn't notice it.

I'm not being interrogated in a court of law. This is City Data and I came for advice - both medical and legal.

Also I was wondering if anyone had any similar experiences and knew what this might be.
I feel terribly responsible for her suffering because if I had a job with medical benefits, she would have seen a doctor months ago, and this condition would not have progressed to the severe extent.

Thread closed due to fighting and getting absolutely nowhere