Comparing U.S. and other medical systems

**sparks19** · 01-20-2010, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by Grace

I was 7 when I had Mono. It used to be called the Kissing Disease, but I wasn't that type at 7

HAHA yeah I was 16 I think when I had it... but if it's the kissing disease I would have had to have someone to kiss :O

**sparks19** · 01-21-2010, 03:41 PM

I just wanted to share this since we were talking about long wait times at the ER vs just going to your family doctor.

I was just talking to a friend of mine back home and she's had a "boo boo" for a bit now and had an appt with her family doctor ... and waited two hours.

Over worked, understaffed.

**carole** · 01-21-2010, 05:14 PM

Woah that is not on, i would never expect to wait more than 15mins if i had made an appointment with my doctor, unless there was an emergency or something, i would be changing my doctor for sure.

**RICHARD** · 01-21-2010, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by carole

Woah that is not on, i would never expect to wait more than 15mins if i had made an appointment with my doctor, unless there was an emergency or something, i would be changing my doctor for sure.

The HMO I worked for had a policy that a physician was scheduled 15-20 minutes PER PATIENT.

Just enough time to read the nurse's notes and have him say "hmm" and "exactly where does it hurt.."

Henry Phord made it work assembling cars....

**sparks19** · 01-21-2010, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by carole

Woah that is not on, i would never expect to wait more than 15mins if i had made an appointment with my doctor, unless there was an emergency or something, i would be changing my doctor for sure.

But she can't because there are no doctors taking on new patients so you kinda gotta keep what you got even if it's not ideal.

but yeah two hours is a long time to wait when you've made an appt. I know i've waited 45 mintues here one time with Hannah's back up doc but that's because he is VERY thorough

**Marigold2** · 01-23-2010, 09:57 PM

Does anyone who lives out of the US want to trade their healthcare system for ours??? ANYONE???

**Marigold2** · 01-23-2010, 10:11 PM

Working for two Dr's I know that sometimes we do get behind and people have to wait up to an hour.
1) Emergency. Eye Dr's get a ton of these, metal in the eye from factory workers, infection, something poked in eye, pencil, tree branch, fall on a fork or people in car accident, fallen down steps, punched in the face, glass in eye, animal ripped eye the list goes on and on. The ED sends them to us, they won't cut the metal out of the eye, our Dr does.
2) People arrive late, get lost, etc.
3) We work with a lot of elderly. They can not hear, can not see, don't understand the directions (they do drive to the app however). Explaining the surgery to them 2 then 3 then 4 times same questions over and over. What should have taken 10 minutes takes 27. They come in with walkers, take forever to refract or even to understand the directions on their drops.
We don't rush them. We understand that for some of these people we are the only ones they talk to all week maybe all month, they bring in pictures of their pets, grandchildren, they have no one, no one to even drive to the hospital for surgery. We have to plead with their family or neighbors to help. The hospital will not release them after surgery to a taxi and of course they cannnot drive. We are patient and kind and treat them with respect and it takes time. These are our WW11 veterans these are people who worked all their lives and now need surgery need help and we don't rush them. So yes you might have to wait but when you do see the Dr (who was voted one of the best in the country) he really listens to you, calms your fears, answers your questions and you are not rushed or made to feel like a number, so sit down, take a magazine and kindly wait your turn.

Originally Posted by carole

Woah that is not on, i would never expect to wait more than 15mins if i had made an appointment with my doctor, unless there was an emergency or something, i would be changing my doctor for sure.

**carole** · 01-24-2010, 02:33 PM

I hear what you are saying Marigold, i too have worked in the health system, a private surgical hospital, and i sure know that some things are beyond control, and stuff just happens, however i have never had to wait longer than 15 mins to see a doctor if i have made an appointment, if you just walk casually in to the drop in doctor or ER you can expect 1 to 2 hour waits, and at the hospital up to six hours wait, still it is far too long, but yep stuff does happen,

In answer to your question , no sorry i would not swap my health system for your's. Thanks anyway lol.

**Cataholic** · 01-24-2010, 04:30 PM

I am with Carole, I wouldn't wait more than 15 minutes for a doctor. Heck, the whole appointment isn't much longer than 10 minutes, LOL!

**sparks19** · 01-24-2010, 04:55 PM

they won't cut the metal out of the eye

Ok off topic ....

But did reading this make anyone else's eyes water LOL

*shudder*

**Medusa** · 01-24-2010, 09:26 PM

Regarding waiting for a dr. appt, I call ahead and ask how they're running, if they're behind or on time. If they say 'behind', I ask how far and if the answer is, say, 15 minutes, then I tell them that I'll be 15 minutes late. I will not sit in a dr's office and wait. I realize there are emergencies but aside from that, there's no reason to leave us sitting there. I used to do the same thing w/my old vet, too, but this one is on the ball and I've never had to wait. I started this practice when a dr. kept me waiting for a ridiculously long time only to find out that two other people in the lobby had the same appt. time. I sent him a bill for my time. He didn't pay it, of course, but he got the point. I didn't go back to him anyhow, though, but I felt good after sending that bill.

**carole** · 01-25-2010, 01:46 PM

Good for you Mary,way to go girl.

**Louie and me** · 01-25-2010, 02:37 PM

I had a small lump removed ten days ago and it was sent for biopsy. This morning I received an email from my doctor with the results (nothing scary). he had emailed it at 10:15pm Sunday night! Now there's a dedicated doctor.

**Killearn Kitties** · 01-25-2010, 04:33 PM

Sending you my best wishes Louie and Me.

Hope everything is OK.

My father in law is in hospital just now and we have had lots of communication during the week and over the weekend letting us know what is going on. He cannot speak highly enough of the care he is receiving.

**RICHARD** · 01-26-2010, 11:03 PM

I met my GF at the HMO we both worked at.

As I type this the phone rang and a computer voice is telling me that there is an important message for some National Elderly health plan..I swear to god.

We lived together for a while but, she never used my parent's home address for any kind of a mail drop.

She passed away in March of '02, while under their care.

----------------

I went out to check the mail today and there was a letter, sent in her name, but with my parent's address on it.

They wanted to know if she would like health coverage from the company. I cannot even think of how the got her name and linked it to this address.

LOLOLOLOL, it's a computer generated letter, so now that the hospitals have gone high tech, nothing is sacred.

I have railed before about how the computer systems are just another setback for patient care and record keeping.

These morons cannot even figure out people are dead and they want health care reform done on their terms.

I am not beyond words at the moment, I just can't use them.

What a bunch morons, we are doomed.