My attempt at not so live blogging from the ER last week led me to some interesting thoughts and questions about health care in the US and the attitudes of people seeking health care in the US. Before I get to the first thought, let me give you some data about my emergency room experience…
I’ve been to emergency rooms more than 50 times in the last 40 years. I’ve been to emergency rooms in 6 states and 4 countries (including the US and two that some would consider “third world countries”). I’ve been to Department of Defense emergency rooms and “civillian” emergency rooms. I’ve been to the emergency room that spawned these thoughts and questions about 10 times and walked through it a good 100 times. I’ve been to the ER as a patient or a family member/friend of a patient. I’ve been to the ER for suicide attempts and kidney stones, for broken bones and lacerations, for burns and for ear infections, for tummy troubles and breathing treatments, for foreign objects where they ought not be and psychotic episodes and treatment after car accidents. I have emergency room experience.
I have never seen so many people ask the folks at “triage” how much longer it will be ’til they are seen. Nobody likes to wait 4 hours or 6 hours or 8 hours to be seen but folks, in the ER, it isn’t about how long you’ve waited it is about who arrives in worse shape than you are. When the dude or dudette at the desk says I don’t know, it could be six hours he/she isn’t saying that to cause you grief. The point is, if EMS brings in 4 more patients and they have yet another helicopter come in, then it could be six hours or 12 hours. There is simply NO WAY to predict the type of emergency that is going to walk in the door in the next five minutes.
I have never heard people rant at the top of their lungs about the quality of care being given the way I heard them rant on Tuesday night.
One woman called her husband’s doctor, who she happens to work for, and complained and the man was taken back immediately. He apparently had blood clots in his legs and was tired of sitting outside chain smoking while he waited for treatment.
Another woman, whose husband had a dislocated knee, called someone in the hospital to file a complaint. They had been waiting four hours. She had to go home and get pain meds for him to get through the wait. She then proceeded to lie to whoever she was talking to and said she was looking at dirty bandages on the floor of the waiting room – there were none. She said some old man in a wheel chair had a coat over his head and head been pushed to the side, forgotten about and could be dead for all she knew. Umm, he was a homeless guy taking a nap. Happily panhandling the parking lot an hour later. She said there were infants who had been there for hours, sick and dehydrated and could die, those infants were toddlers and were happily running all over the ER – no imminent signs of death at all. She then proceeded to tell the poor person on the phone the little tidbet that had gotten me so worked up on the first place…
This is America! This isn’t a third world country! We are being treated like we’re in a third world country! Americans deserve better health care than this!
Ummm, has this woman been to a third world country, much less visited the ER in one? I somehow doubt it. In fact I doubt anyone who was happily, and loudly, spouting that nonsense has been to one.
I’ve been to two Emergency Rooms in two different “third world countries” and I guarantee you the folks in those ERs would have gladly given up 6 hours of their lives to sit in our ER instead. Our ER with AC that works (too well), 6 televisions, enough seating that nobody sat on the floor or stood while they waited. Free telephones that work. Bathrooms inside, most of which actually have toilet paper – and a plumbing system that allows you to flush the paper. Vending machines. A nice woman from housekeeping, who had injured herself while working and was waiting just like we were for treatment, handing out blankets to anyone who wanted them.
And what is with the “Americans deserve better” crud? Better than what? Better than all of those things that I listed? I don’t get it, at all.
It’s an emergency room folks. That means people with emergencies are going to wander in and they are going to be seen ahead of you. I know the waiting stinks. I know you don’t feel well. I know your son has a big playoff game on Thursday and those broken ribs might keep him out of the game and you’re frustrated. I know your toddler is tired of waiting and so are you. But believe it or not, it isn’t all about you or about me. It isn’t about being treated like you’re in a third world country or about the disaster that is American health care. It’s about the nature of the emergency, plain and simple.
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