Go to the ER for every medical issue you have!

[mo0n]

I will try and respond to this later. We're actually on vacation at the moment but obviously I have some strong opinions and firsthand knowledge about the topics being raised. ER usage, physician access, Urgent Care centers, and all of that are things that I deal with for a living so I'm happy to weigh in and offer some "insider" views. We're getting ready to head out to a local museum and some tourist attractions but I should have some down time later today.

I'm definitely looking forward to your response to this issue.

On a side note, where in Kentucky are you vacationing? I went to school there and have a soft spot for the state.

[disneysteve]

I'm definitely looking forward to your response to this issue.

On a side note, where in Kentucky are you vacationing? I went to school there and have a soft spot for the state.

I responded above 2 days ago

We're in Louisville at the moment. We've been enjoying our visit a lot.

[mo0n]

I responded above 2 days ago

We're in Louisville at the moment. We've been enjoying our visit a lot.

Ha, whoops. Reading comprehension for the win... *cringe.

[Smallsteps]

I think a large part of ER use is simply impatient or people not thinking... I had a co-worker who has never NOT had an emergency. It was never an emergency but did not add to her drama to say she went to urgent care or primary care.

I recently went to an urgent care that had 2 ambulance there because some people have no idea what is a minor emergency and what requires a hospital. Dr said it was a big problem with them required to send people literally every day to a hospital.
Last week listened to a co- worker try to make an primary care appointment in the area we live, He told them he does not feel right and is losing weight without trying @ about 10lbs a week told him seriously we can fit you in DECEMBER ...when he called another provider at least that staff had enough brains to suggest a urgent care clinic.

[rob62521]

When I first started teaching (over 30 years ago) a student told me she didn't have her homework finished because they were at the emergency room the night before. I was sympathetic (as well as naive) and asked if the person was OK. She said yes, she was constipated. I then learned how many depend on the ER for every day medical care. I asked why they didn't go to the drug store and try something the pharmacist might have suggested and she said because it would have cost money and they could go to the ER for free. Why do common sense stuff when you can get treated for free? I wasn't as understanding after that when a student told me about an overnight ER experience. My first question was if the person was OK and if it was for something simple like an ingrown toenail (no, I am not making that up) I would then say they should have taken their homework with them since the wait in the ER is always long.

Nika I am very sorry your husband is having the royal run around on getting into seeing the specialist. I am shocked at how slow the medical profession seems to work. I don't know if it is because there are too many people who need treatment or if we have been led astray by the media thinking we get immediate treatment.

[annibe11e]

I went to the ER for everything for a long time. We had medical assistance in Texas and there were no doctors accepting new MA patients. You just plain couldn't see a doctor. For years. No waiting list. Just nope.

I don't go to the doctor for things that are likely viral, or pain unless it doesn't go away or gets worse. But I felt dumb going in for severe stomach pain just to learn I was constipated. Also, for wrist pain that wouldn't improve just to get a brace and find out I had tendon-itis. But I just didn't know what those things felt like and I couldn't see a regular doc.

I really think health classes in high school should teach some basic understanding of the healthcare system, health insurance, and common ailments.

[disneysteve]

I went to the ER for everything for a long time. We had medical assistance in Texas and there were no doctors accepting new MA patients. You just plain couldn't see a doctor. For years. No waiting list. Just nope.

In that situation, you certainly didn't do anything wrong. You knew your issues probably weren't actual emergencies but the ER was the only choice you had. That's often a problem with Medicaid - too many patients and not enough providers.

[disneysteve]

I think a large part of ER use is simply impatient or people not thinking.

I commented on this earlier. There is definitely some of that but there are a lot of other issues too.

I recently went to an urgent care that had 2 ambulance there because some people have no idea what is a minor emergency and what requires a hospital. Dr said it was a big problem with them required to send people literally every day to a hospital.

This is true, but also not all that simple to fix. At least in my area, urgent care is a relatively new thing. There is one urgent care that has been here for years but it's only been in the past 2-3 years that they have popped up all over the place. There are now 7 in my town alone. It will take time for the public to learn what is and is not appropriate to go to urgent care for. People are still learning the differences between urgent care and the ER (which is further complicated by the fact that not all urgent cares provide the same services).

Some of it is also that patients know in their heads what they should do but don't really want to do it. I've had several patients come in and when I told them they needed to go to the ER, they said, "I figured that's what you were going to say." ERs are not popular places. People do whatever they can to avoid going there.

Last week listened to a co- worker try to make an primary care appointment in the area we live, He told them he does not feel right and is losing weight without trying @ about 10lbs a week told him seriously we can fit you in DECEMBER ...when he called another provider at least that staff had enough brains to suggest a urgent care clinic.

I hate hearing stories like that. That is an emergency, plain and simple. If his PCP couldn't see him, he should have been told to go to the hospital right away.
The office that told him to go to urgent care was wrong in this case. Urgent care is for acute, low-level sorts of things: strep throat, ear infection, minor stitches, bladder infections. Urgent care is not the right place to go to evaluate a more serious issue. That patient is going to need blood work, x-rays, CT scans, etc. That's way beyond the scope of an urgent care center.