Another patient dies after waiting 22 hours in hospital

[Twisterdog]

I was reading in a local paper that 8 out of every 10 patients-or something like that -go to the ER for crap that they should see a regular doctor for.

Amen! That is a HUGE problem.

Our local hospital's ER is constantly criticized for poor service. Which they indeed do provide. However, they are constantly bombarded by people showing up with head colds, menstrual cramps, the flu, etc. Public hospitals cannot turn anyone away from the ER for inability to pay. So the true emergencies sit in the waiting room with a dozen people who are there for minor illnesses.

Another example of how terribly broken our medical system is.

[Taz_Zoee]

I understand not turning people away, but they should take people in the order of the severity of their needs.
That's what the hospital did when I sprained my ankle years ago. I sat there for three hours. A baby that was dropped by an older sibling went in before me even though they arrived after me. I did not have a problem with that.

[pomtzu]

I understand not turning people away, but they should take people in the order of the severity of their needs.

I think that more hospitals now are using a triage system - more so than years ago. When I fractured my wrist in the middle of the night last year, I waited less than 15 minutes at my local hospital to get treated. When I was taken almost immediately, I heard from the doctor that was treating me, that there were complaints from people in the waiting room that had been there for several hours waiting to be treated - for a headache, a baby with diaper rash, a toddler with a runny nose, etc, etc - you get the picture! They were upset that I was rushed thru before they were! I feel that all emergency centers should be required to treat in a priority manner.

[Twisterdog]

I understand not turning people away, but they should take people in the order of the severity of their needs.
That's what the hospital did when I sprained my ankle years ago. I sat there for three hours. A baby that was dropped by an older sibling went in before me even though they arrived after me. I did not have a problem with that.

This from my friend who is a doctor at our local ER: They do take people back in order of the severity of their illness/injury. However, once taken out of the waiting room into the back for treatment, they now occupy a room/cubicle until their case is resolved and they are sent home. They can't be sent back to the waiting room.

So, for example, there are ten cubicles and ten people in the waiting room at 8 pm. They are all taken back to a room, and the one or two doctors start making the rounds, seeing them. They are there for minor complaints ... sore throat, cold, flu, etc. But it takes time to diagnose, doctors are very afraid of malpractice suits. In the meantime, other people have come into the waiting room. There is no room for them in the back, they have to wait until someone is finished and sent home, no matter how serious their case is. Now multiply this problem by ten or a hundred for a large city, and you see where it could lead.

[RICHARD]

Nurses do keep the flow of an ER going.

Patients are sent to the lab, x-ray, cast rooms.

The waiting often comes when you return with a test result and have to wait to get back into a room.

[sparks19]

It's not even just a mtter of not being able to pay that people go to ER for a cold.

This happens back home ALL the time and healthcare is "free".

You can walk into the ER at just about anytime and the waiting room will be full of people with the sniffles. I do NOT understand why they would rather go to the ER than go to a walk in clinic because you wait MUCH longer at the ER than you would at a walk in clinic.

I remember one time I went to the ER after my Dr diagnosed me with "tonsilitis" and gave me penicillan. After I started taking it I got worse and worse and my throat was just covered in white... like strep. My throat was so sore and so swollen that it actually got hard for me to breathe. Well my dad freaked out and thought I was having an allergic reaction and rushed me to ER.

I was there for over 12 hours. Turned out I had Mono. Nice catch by my Dr... NOT

[Medusa]

Amen! That is a HUGE problem.

Our local hospital's ER is constantly criticized for poor service. Which they indeed do provide. However, they are constantly bombarded by people showing up with head colds, menstrual cramps, the flu, etc. Public hospitals cannot turn anyone away from the ER for inability to pay. So the true emergencies sit in the waiting room with a dozen people who are there for minor illnesses.

Another example of how terribly broken our medical system is.

I heard on TV that some people go to emergency rooms because, as you pointed out, they have an inability to pay and they won't be turned away and they aren't asked to pay immediately. Some drs. will not see you if you don't have the ability to pay. I'm not saying either situation is right, just that this is where we are today.