Doctors, Hospitals & Compassion

[alan1]

I'd rather have a bureaucrat than these self-serving medical corporation guys!

Really...What if the bureaucrat is me??

Nope, too late, I get to be the bureaucrat that Derek wants, I posted it first.
I will let you help me make decisions he doesn't like though, shouldn't be to hard for either of us.

 

[strollingbones]

ahhhh yes.....doctors and compassion...doctors are just like everyone else...some are total dicks who ran ever test they can to cover their ass and increase profit...all depends on your insurance....i know a lot of hospitals simply settle lawsuits due to the cost of litigation...

things i have seen while working er admitting:

an ortho guy maniuplated a woman broken ankle...the first x rays were showing a basic break...he actually fucked with her ankle till she needed surgery....he would do that if the insurance was good...why cast a break when you can operate and really **** someone up and charge them a fortune.

i had one doctor...when i was send to a eye tumor specialist whatever the hell they are called....say before he even looked at my eyes "i dont understand why they referred you here...if the bleeding is where they think it is...the laser solution will leave a large blind spot...you will basically go blind in that eye" i pointed out to him that nothing anyone else had said had scared the shit out of me like he had....he then looked into my eyes for over 3 hours....you know them little glass lens...he must have had a hundred or more...he took pic of the inside of my eyes (talk about torture) he then said he was 95% sure it was an old bruise and i was having optical migraines...his bill was under 200 bucks...
damn skippy

and working in the er....there were a few doc who had the compassion of rocks.. they were er docs and they were what we called "trauma junkies"....no compassion....one night we had one doctor say....gotta love this....if we do this...she is gonna die..if we do nothing she is gonna die...they were flipping a coin mentally... but if you were in trouble, you wanted the cold hearted bastards cause they knew their stuff...

small hospital we only normally had one doc in er ..everyone else on call....one night this chick comes in with a broken toe at about 3 am....i got to wake up the doctor and tell him ....he had an emergency broken toe...welll turns out she had broken her toe like 1 pm that day and had driven past 2 other hospitals...we had to bring her ass in ...in a wheel chair...i have never heard someone scream so much in my life...then be told that you just tape it to the toe next to it....

and then there was the night the baby died...the parents brought the infant in...the baby coded...
there was nothing but compassion that day....

we use to have a saying....we had stretch marks on our mouths from trying to keep the doctors happy...overall they are a bunch of egotistical assholes.

 

[Derek_Plumber]

How much is your student loan from going to plumber school?

I am really tired of hearing about the long hours and cost of medical schooling. Are you saying the requirements to become a doctor came as a complete surprise to you?

Would-be-doctors see secure employment, and big rewards: Build your own practice and flip it into a medical corporation. Then there is the nice house, maybe a summer home, and a new car every year. The patient is just another insurance policy walking in the door to finance "doctor heaven."

If 500 people graduate from medical school, 250 are in the top of the class, and 250 are at the bottom. Patient's don't know who they are seeing, which is why we should require a competency test every year of every doctor. Then publish their performance.

Doctors spend big bucks on Washington lobbyists because they want to keep things just as they are, nice and lucrative for themselves.

 

[strollingbones]

derek you are an idiot. xox has been to 4 years of regular school....majoring in some tough shit ....bio and all...then 3 more years of medical school...so if he was lucky and smart he got out about 25 or 26 yrs of age...now i wonder how much it costs to open a family practice...he has to not only have adult instruments but little ones for the wee ones...you do realize they take different instruments? then he must have a nurse and/or receptionist...and an answering service...plus an office with more than one examining room...i assure you..they aint making big bucks like "nip & tuck"...o hell i forgot to mention the insurance paid by doctors and nurses...yes and nurses ..its called malpractice insurance...ob/gyn's will be extinct soon...seems if your baby aint perfect someone is paying

 

[strollingbones]

o you want to know if your doctor is "board certified"...do some research into the doctor...you can by simply asking a few questions.

 

[strollingbones]

o and mm if justice is blind it is due to the colored font suddenly so popular....

 

[alan1]

o and mm if justice is blind it is due to the colored font suddenly so popular....

I've used colored lettering and larger font in my sig line since I joined this place.

 

[strollingbones]

bat boy didnt ..i really miss bat boy

 

[xotoxi]

How much is your student loan from going to plumber school?

I am really tired of hearing about the long hours and cost of medical schooling. Are you saying the requirements to become a doctor came as a complete surprise to you?

Would-be-doctors see secure employment, and big rewards: Build your own practice and flip it into a medical corporation. Then there is the nice house, maybe a summer home, and a new car every year. The patient is just another insurance policy walking in the door to finance "doctor heaven."

If 500 people graduate from medical school, 250 are in the top of the class, and 250 are at the bottom. Patient's don't know who they are seeing, which is why we should require a competency test every year of every doctor. Then publish their performance.

Doctors spend big bucks on Washington lobbyists because they want to keep things just as they are, nice and lucrative for themselves.

I have one home. Two cars (one for me, one for my wife).

We do own a whole bunch of boats...but they are only in the water when my son is taking a bath or swimming in the pool...kiddy pool.

Tell me Joe, how much do you pay per year for your liability insurance?

 

[alan1]

bat boy didnt ..i really miss bat boy

Yer memory is short, I did it then to.

 

[Tinktink]

Personally I believe that as is true in all professions, you have honest folks and you have dishonest folks. This would include the medical field. I would also bet the dishonest folks in this field make the biggest bucks. So, XO you must be a honest man, if the name of your boat is Tyke... hehe. Also, I think the money aspect changes with which area of the medical field you go into. Does a family doctor make the same amount as a Surgeon? I would bet not.

One thing I don't understand and am very distrusting of when it comes to the medical profession is the "follow up" appointment. That smells of wasted money.

 

[xotoxi]

One thing I don't understand and am very distrusting of when it comes to the medical profession is the "follow up" appointment. That smells of wasted money.

If I see someone and start them on medicine for a blood pressure of 160/100, how would I know that the medicine I gave them is effective without seeing them again?

 

[Tinktink]

One thing I don't understand and am very distrusting of when it comes to the medical profession is the "follow up" appointment. That smells of wasted money.

If I see someone and start them on medicine for a blood pressure of 160/100, how would I know that the medicine I gave them is effective without seeing them again?

Sorry I should have been more clear on what I meant by follow up. About a year ago I was bit by a cat, called the doc. Doc sent me to the hospital. Then upon leaving the hospital I was informed I should follow up with my primary. For what reason I don't know. I went, the doc looked at my boo boo, said it was doing fine and sent me on my way. I already knew I was fine because of the way I was feeling. So to me it seemed to be a waste of money and time. My mother was recently seen at the hospital for CHF symptoms, she was told to immediately follow up with her primary, which she did and all he did was tell her she needed to do a follow up with her cardiologist. When simply she could have been instructed to follow up with the cardiologist. One hospital visit and two doctor appoints, verses one hospital visit an one doctor appointment would have been less costly to her insurance.

 

[xotoxi]

One thing I don't understand and am very distrusting of when it comes to the medical profession is the "follow up" appointment. That smells of wasted money.

If I see someone and start them on medicine for a blood pressure of 160/100, how would I know that the medicine I gave them is effective without seeing them again?

Sorry I should have been more clear on what I meant by follow up. About a year ago I was bit by a cat, called the doc. Doc sent me to the hospital. Then upon leaving the hospital I was informed I should follow up with my primary. For what reason I don't know. I went, the doc looked at my boo boo, said it was doing fine and sent me on my way. I already knew I was fine because of the way I was feeling. So to me it seemed to be a waste of money and time. My mother was recently seen at the hospital for CHF symptoms, she was told to immediately follow up with her primary, which she did and all he did was tell her she needed to do a follow up with her cardiologist. When simply she could have been instructed to follow up with the cardiologist. One hospital visit and two doctor appoints, verses one hospital visit an one doctor appointment would have been less costly to her insurance.

Unfortunately in this day and age, we are required to perform a lot of cover-your-ass medicine because of sue-happy patients and lawyers. The ED physician who saw you for your bite was releasing you from his care and had no plans to see you again. Therefore, he was officially transferring your care from him to your primary physician, which is why he told you to followup with your PCP.

You are logical and intelligent and therefore would be able to make an intelligent determination whether you are getting better or worse, but there are some real winners (read: losers) out there that would not followup, not return for evaluation, let the cat bite fester and become sepsis, and end up in the hospital with overwhelming infection...and then blame the doctor for not following up on treatment.

I know of one situation where an endocrinologist saw a patient for very poorly controlled diabetic multiple times and each time tried to emphasize that he needed to have better control with diet and medication use and discussed the risks of complications of diabetes, including amputation of limbs. The guy didn't follow the recommendations and ended up having an amputation. The patient sued the doctor for not emphasizing the risks enough.

I think the doctor won the case, but the cost and aggrevation of defending yourself in a malpractice suit is significant. It just goes to show you that in this country, the patient is not held responsible for their actions.

 

[Tinktink]

If I see someone and start them on medicine for a blood pressure of 160/100, how would I know that the medicine I gave them is effective without seeing them again?

Sorry I should have been more clear on what I meant by follow up. About a year ago I was bit by a cat, called the doc. Doc sent me to the hospital. Then upon leaving the hospital I was informed I should follow up with my primary. For what reason I don't know. I went, the doc looked at my boo boo, said it was doing fine and sent me on my way. I already knew I was fine because of the way I was feeling. So to me it seemed to be a waste of money and time. My mother was recently seen at the hospital for CHF symptoms, she was told to immediately follow up with her primary, which she did and all he did was tell her she needed to do a follow up with her cardiologist. When simply she could have been instructed to follow up with the cardiologist. One hospital visit and two doctor appoints, verses one hospital visit an one doctor appointment would have been less costly to her insurance.

Unfortunately in this day and age, we are required to perform a lot of cover-your-ass medicine because of sue-happy patients and lawyers. The ED physician who saw you for your bite was releasing you from his care and had no plans to see you again. Therefore, he was officially transferring your care from him to your primary physician, which is why he told you to followup with your PCP.

You are logical and intelligent and therefore would be able to make an intelligent determination whether you are getting better or worse, but there are some real winners (read: losers) out there that would not followup, not return for evaluation, let the cat bite fester and become sepsis, and end up in the hospital with overwhelming infection...and then blame the doctor for not following up on treatment.

I know of one situation where an endocrinologist saw a patient for very poorly controlled diabetic multiple times and each time tried to emphasize that he needed to have better control with diet and medication use and discussed the risks of complications of diabetes, including amputation of limbs. The guy didn't follow the recommendations and ended up having an amputation. The patient sued the doctor for not emphasizing the risks enough.

I think the doctor won the case, but the cost and aggrevation of defending yourself in a malpractice suit is significant. It just goes to show you that in this country, the patient is not held responsible for their actions.

You know I never looked at it that way. I wasn't thinking about the legality of it. I was simply thinking about how a waste of money it seemed to be, from my own experience, knowing that my wound was healed. But I do understand it's importance now that you pointed out the consequences the medical field faces if they don't follow along that line of "safety net" procedures. See you learn something new every day. Thanks. I won't be so critical of it anymore.

 

[strollingbones]

o and another reason for the pcp to see you on follow up...i was unfortunate enough to dislocate my foot...(you snap the ligaments or something) the er doc gave me vic's....i am one of those odd people that vics dont work on...so my follow up is to my pcp to get the meds i needed to be out of pain. i have to have a pain killer that attacts the attention of the fda....o yea doctors have to explain to dumbass why they gave this med to this person.....coolest thing i ever seen and heard a doctor do was taking to an hmo agent...he wanted his patient to stay in the hospital for two more days and the hmo said no the average stay is blah blah blah.....the doctor asks where the hmo worker got his medical degree...the hmo agents says he is not a doctor....doctor said...when you are ****** call me back then you can decided the best medical care for my patient...then slammed the phone down...he was our hero

 

[Derek_Plumber]

How much is your student loan from going to plumber school?

So, here's the thing. You are a doctor, a field in which details are very important. My user name is "Derek Plumber," I am not a plumber. As my profile shows I am no relation to "Joe the Plumber," and I have never been to plumbing school. Your accuracy is not building my confidence in doctors. Isn't listening supposed to be a big part of what you do?

Second, it is time for open warfare on medicine. The fellow I know who was given the wrong pills in a 10 day "medication evaluation," wants payback. He sent a letter to the CEO of the big medical corporation slamming their incompetence. He also sent copies of the letter to the HR managers of the top 30 employers in his State! He copied their major competitors, the Governor, and to make it personal the CEO's brothers who are also doctors. That was Phase I. I am pretty impressed. Tying in the brothers was a nice touch. Well, health care is personal.

It is time to retaliate against these doctors, medical corporations, insurance companies and drug companies. The only language they understand is money. Why get tied up with lawyers only to lose in the end. Cost these bastards business!

The AMA has the 9th largest lobby in the nation. The World Health Organization ranks American Health Care #37 in the world. And, there are 46,000,000 people without health care, that's a lot of voices. Buy your teenager some cans of spray paint, and point out medical, insurance, and pharmaceutical offices in your community!

 

[xotoxi]

My user name is "Derek Plumber," I am not a plumber.

Shit! I thought that you were Derek the Plumber (AKA "Joe").

I just assumed that no one was stupid enough to actually use their real name on an anonymous message board.

Well, Derek Plumber, I'm sorry that your confidence in me as a doctor is so low. But that is okay, because I am not your doctor.

 

[Tinktink]

How much is your student loan from going to plumber school?

So, here's the thing. You are a doctor, a field in which details are very important. My user name is "Derek Plumber," I am not a plumber. As my profile shows I am no relation to "Joe the Plumber," and I have never been to plumbing school. Your accuracy is not building my confidence in doctors. Isn't listening supposed to be a big part of what you do?

Second, it is time for open warfare on medicine. The fellow I know who was given the wrong pills in a 10 day "medication evaluation," wants payback. He sent a letter to the CEO of the big medical corporation slamming their incompetence. He also sent copies of the letter to the HR managers of the top 30 employers in his State! He copied their major competitors, the Governor, and to make it personal the CEO's brothers who are also doctors. That was Phase I. I am pretty impressed. Tying in the brothers was a nice touch. Well, health care is personal.

It is time to retaliate against these doctors, medical corporations, insurance companies and drug companies. The only language they understand is money. Why get tied up with lawyers only to lose in the end. Cost these bastards business!

The AMA has the 9th largest lobby in the nation. The World Health Organization ranks American Health Care #37 in the world. And, there are 46,000,000 people without health care, that's a lot of voices. Buy your teenager some cans of spray paint, and point out medical, insurance, and pharmaceutical offices in your community!

I agree the greed of the medical industry is frightening. But I have to say that not all folks fall into that greed. I once had a doctor charge me 20 for a visit and give me free samples for Strep, because he knew I didn't have insurance. That was a true doctor. He saw me and my circumstances, not me and my wallet.

 

[Citizen]

Do doctors and hospitals really really care about their patients, or is it all about big bucks and medical corporations?

As a person who's wife doen not have medical insurance, I would like to address your question.

My wife was hopsitalized for cavatal pneumonia, which was really bad, and it took several day of very high priced drugs, after all the tests they ran to discover what the problem was, but the attending doctor refused to charge for her services, and the hospital reduced the bill about 93% because she did not have insurance, and we did not qualify for financial assistance. Of course there were several other bills from labs, consultants, and etc. but they, along with the hospital, were willing to work with me, allowing me to pay in monthly installments, ranging from $150 per month, down to some as low as $10 per month, with no interest.

So I believe that doctors and hospitals do care about their patients. Also there was no money required up front to admit, or treat her.