In the past two weeks, I learned in full detail what does not work about our health care system, and why it is most certainly killing people. Here’s what happened to us:
Mike woke up last Monday (two weeks ago!) with serious difficulties breathing. He saw his GP twice last week, receiving a chest x-ray and a useless dose of antibiotics. Next we saw a pulmonologist twice. He offered one additional chest x-ray and a stronger dose of antibiotics. When those failed to help, they gave up and sent us to the emergency room.
It was only after SIX HOURS in the ER, many tests, thousands of dollars, and two weeks of missed work, that we finally received a definitive diagnosis!
You know on TV, where the ER is swarming with MDs. Not in real life! We went to the ER because Mike was having a terrible time catching his breath. But instead of giving him some respiratory therapy immediately, they brought in a student nurse who spent at least thirty minutes filling out paper work while Mike struggled with every breath.
One thing we learned from this BAD experience is how apparently useless lung X-rays are. In the ER, five hours later, only after a CAT SCAN of his lungs, did they find the pneumonia. Why didn’t our pulmonologist know this? Why didn’t they order a CAT SCAN a week before, instead of forcing us to waste thousands of dollars in the ER? Why did it take an alert and dedicated ER physician’s assistant to find the pnemonia a pulmonologist couldn’t diagnose?
To add insult to injury, we went home because we were supposedly having a nebulizer delivered, only to receive a message on our home phone, that they had screwed up and sent the nebulizer to the hospital ER instead.
My advice, don’t get too seriously ill or you won’t make it through this maze of incompetence!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
it has been my experience that the medical community, far too often, is guided by fear of the insurance industry and related legal community than bye the patient’s needs. They are often looking backwards, over their shoulder, in fear of litigation from disgruntled patients should they do anything indefensible. extra useless tests are ordered to diffuse the liability. treatment is not improved and we recieve less than stellar service while our costs continue to rise. perhaps our rising health care costs are more of a legal/insurance industry problem than a medical problem.
Blessed with excellent health,
Brad
Too scary. Do you live in a big city or small town? Sounds like a string of incompetents (and I use the noun referring to the medical professionals)…I hope despite all the frustration that Mike is improving. Scary situation, one that makes me even more fearful of aging.
Lia:
I live in a medium sized city with one of the highest rated health care systems in the country! I know because I wrote about them recently in a regional magazine. The Poudre Valley Hospital System was the ONLY winner of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award from Congress last year…now there’s a scarier thought!
If this is the best, we are all in trouble! –Laura Lee