OT - Emergency Room Waits | Arthritis Information

I am posting a couple of articles over the years on my local hospitals. This was what was going on when I was having acute attacks of my disease, but was "depressed", and couldn't get help or diagnosed. I was SENT to the ER by my primaries to get diagnosed. Perhaps it explains my attitude about "morons" running health care". It's referred to as "patient dumping". The primary cannot figure it out, so they refer you to the ER. Makes perfect sense, I thought that's what diagnostic and teaching hospitals were for:

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/jan/15/florida_ers_criti cal_condition/

(20 more beds, wow)

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2005/mar/26/ndn_ers_trying_to _cope_with_crush_of_larger_popula/

(this one mentions the six hour wait time as common)

Wow Cathy, very interesting articles. About 5 years ago I coded the ER charts for our local 150 bed hospital. I memorized the codes for colds, fevers, sore throats, headaches and cough. Those were the most frequently used diagnosis.

The state of WA went with a HMO approach for Medicaid patients. If it was during office hours and not a true emergency, their primary care physician was contacted and made the decision on where they would go for care (office, urgent care etc).

I love the local urgent care we have. It is open 7 days a week from 7-7. I have gone there for a killer sinus infection on a weekend, sore throat for my daughter, ankle sprains etc. when we couldn't get to our doctor.

Our local ER's have the number of our local free clinic which is ONLY for the uninsured (they check). Most of the local docs and clinics help support it for the ones who need it which is usually the working poor.

Unless there has been a major trauma, I have never seen 5-6 hour waits. Most hospitals use a color code system if they are under the EMTALA law that requires a triage, before payment questions are asked. Red usually means you get in quick. Anyone with chest pain or shortness of breath should get a red sticker.

Mary, its all be flabbergasting, utterly flabbergasting. I am starting to think that there is enough talent in this BBS to form a PAC for just plain old Americans arthritic/autoimmune sufferers who have been damaged by lack of care. We have the time, a cause, and alot of people with alot of courage who seems to be able to speak up and speak their minds. I know the Arthritis Foundation has a PAC, but I am wondering about a grass roots lobbying effort by members just contacting their own US Rep and 2 US Senators to get going on say changing how arthritis patients are treated. That's only three personal letters, once a month maybe. That's what we have to counteract the lobbyists of Big Pharma and the AMA. We certainly have enough true life stories. I am into my wishful thinking again, smack me.

I just saw on the national news last night one er, forget which city it was in, has a self check in computer system. Instead of checking in with a nurse or whatever, you go to a computer kiosk and follow the prompts and it checks you in and puts patients in order of severity. I guess it has reduced wait time for everyone. micheleb39280.3328240741Wow Michele, that is interesting. If you remember the city, let me know as I would be interested knowing about it.

Cathy, what is a PAC? It sounds very interesting. I am trying to get ideas on a quality improvement measure for my thesis in Health Care Administration. I am not interested in actually being an administrator of a hospital, but the minor is in Health Information Management and that is what I am going for. I have actually gotten a few ideas from this board.

I already have a beef with the code for RA, it is under the musculoskeltal section of the code book, instead or the immune or infection section. Maybe I will think getting the AMA and AHA to change it and write about that for a thesis Darn brain fog, I remember them saying it was the hospital they took John Kennedy to after he was shot........ We have Urgent Cares here, but it must be lack of insurance that sends the cold/flu crowd to the ER. Once you finally get called back in the ER, the doctors start apologizing for the wait, saying that most of the people out there don't need to be there. It's terrible to really need to be seen at an ER, and you are waiting behind people who could be seen at an Urgent Care. Our hospital system is opening more Urgent Cares throughout the city, so hopefully that will help.

My daughter waited more than five hours with my husband with a broken arm. She broke it the driveway, warming up for a 'championship' basketball game. The only reason she got in when she did? A teammate's dad is an ER dr. and was coming on duty for the third shift. The coach called to check on her, then called the dr. He couldn't believe she was still there after all that time. My husband said two minutes later, it was like the Red Seas parted....

Mary - we aren't even coded in the right section? Geez

PAC: Political Action Committee - I was just throwing out that term to use very loosely. The AMA has a PAC, registered in DC, with paid lobbyists. So does every pharmaceutical company. That's what the patient is up against - well funded lobbyists with lots of administrative support and one agenda: deny care to patients. But, I also know that it is rare for a constitutent to actually write a letter to their US Rep or their US Senators. Very rare. Americans would be shocked to realize that the whole country is run by just a handful of people.

Perhaps a major newspaper might be more interested in our stories in here, its certainly worth a soap opera billing at times, but the wealth of experience of the patients who actually have these diseases and to be ignored and not drawn upon for suggestions or ideas is very sad indeed. Good luck with the thesis.