Posted by Estella on August 8, 2006, at 22:04:50
In reply to Re: Yikes! I agree with Estella, posted by kylenn on August 8, 2006, at 21:27:29
> but why the ER? why in the middle of the night? why not when they were feeling really bad? why not this morning? why not in a couple of hours? Why is your 6 year old up at 4 am on a school night?
have you asked them?
> I just fail to believe that that many people really think that waiting until some ungodly hour (or during the day) and GO TO THE ER for something that IS NOT AN EMERGENCY are abusing the system, they know it, and they simply couldn't care less. They aren't paying for it.
have you asked them why they do this?
maybe they haven't really thought about it...> When I work the ER, I am very lenient on what I consider an "emergency" because I try to look at it through the eyes of the patient. But when I can see that it is just blatant abuse of the system. I realize new parents are frightened and nervous of every little sniffle! I know that a child that you thought would get better, but didn't and now it is three a.m. and you are REALLY getting worried that something is terribly wrong is an emergency.
Right.
> Like a kid with "ringworm" in the ER.
> When was the last time ringworm killed anyone?Do you think the people who come in to the ER know that their kid has ringworm and know that it won't kill them? You are the doctor, remember.
> That is wrong, and they know it, and if it is repeated after it is brought to their attention there should be some repercussions, and THAT is what will increase the efficiency of the ER and THAT is what will bring health care costs down in this one small slice of the pie, and THAT is putting personal responsibility back where it belongs. On the person; not the public.
I see. You good patient doctor... They bad poor and abusing the system.
Sorry you are overworked... Sounds to me like... You are overworked.
What concerns me about this is the knowing that the person is poor -> thinking they are likely to be abusing the system inference.
I mean... Suppose some wealthy and dignified businessman comes in at 4am with the sore throat thing. If he was paying... Would you consider him to be abusing the system. Is it that these people aren't paying?
I'm sorry you feel so strongly about this.
But this reminds me of how people have made assumptions about me all my life. Poor therefore... And you wouldn't believe what people come up with. If you want people to 'abuse' the system then the fastest way to get them to do that is to... Begin with the assumption that they will.
I don't think people tend to think they are abusing. I mean... Doctors are on duty whether people go or not - right? Maybe they can't get time off work during the day. Maybe they think that there will be less wait at night. Maybe their kid couldn't sleep and they did feel worried.
If you think they are abusing the system... Well then I guess you aren't going to be feeling so sympathetic to them.
I'm sorry you are stressed.
But I still don't condone judging a group of people based on their income or lack thereof.
poster:Estella
thread:674781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20060610/msgs/675062.html