As we go into a new phase of treatment, I am constantly reminded of how valuable the patient network is. I asked another parent for a recommendation of a pediatric endocrinologist. While we were talking, he said, "let me share our experience with you so that hopefully you can avoid it." I listened very carefully as I have learned the power of what other patients or parents know. Even though he had some critical things to say about the doctor, he also said some very positive things. So, it wasn't about the doctor at all which I think is part of the fear that doctors have. They don't want to be trashed for situations that the patient didn't like but were necessary. Instead, this father told me two things to watch out for and to expect at the visit. In fact, he said, now you at least know if those don't happen to ask why. Ahhh....patient connectivity is so very valuable. Now, if we can just make it easier to connect.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Hospitals
It has been a long time since I have worked in a hospital, but it never ceases to make me shake my head when Morgan is admitted. The entire process is so spelled out that it is almost exactly the same every time we go - the good and the bad are equally as repeated.
First of all, let me say that we LOVE our hospital, docs, nurses, IV team, lab techs, food service staff, and all in between. This is NOT about THIS hospital. It is about hospitals in general and the crazy time lapse it is when you enter one.
Today, we got a call that we had a bed so we headed to check in. There is nobody in the waiting area to get admitted. We sit there and wait for about 5 minutes until another person walked in to be admitted. THEN, someone comes out to get us. We have to sign the same pages we signed the last 12 times she was admitted. I tell her to save the paper as we have all of the consents and information forms and don't need more. We get a room.
We wander to the room and there is no bed. SHOCKER. This happens almost every time we come. They called us 4 hours ago, and we called in to let them know what time we would arrive. Yet, they were surprised we were "already here" as the tech said. Too funny. Also, the patient who was here before us still had his name outside the room. Interesting. That one was new.
So, we go sit on the couch while the tech gets the bed. He takes her blood pressure, temp, weight, height, etc. He makes her laugh which was nice. Her nurse comes in and does her assessment. Thankfully, they have gotten a bit more modern in that her medications now stay in the system between her admissions. Previously, they had to enter them one by one every single time we came. But, thankfully this is MUCH better.
Her doctor stops by and asks if she is on methotrexate. So much for the meds list staying in. He tells me that he is asking because for some reason methotrexate isn't suppported in the application (it is Cerner). He says that it blows up the system so they have to write paper orders for methotrexate. Surely, not every hospital using Cerner has to do this? Man, I hope not.
He says that he forgot his beeper so he has to leave but he will see her tomorrow. About 3 hours after arrival (admission if for two infusions that run overnight), the IV team comes in and draws blood and starts the IV. Now, we are sitting here waiting on pharmacy. I simply don't get how an order for a routine admission that has been scheduled for 3 weeks takes so long to process. I know how annoying it is to wait for the pharmacy when it is something more urgent, and it doesn't seem to be any different for urgent or routine. There must be a way to improve the speed of that process so that patients get treated faster.
I will continue later as the night goes on....:)
First of all, let me say that we LOVE our hospital, docs, nurses, IV team, lab techs, food service staff, and all in between. This is NOT about THIS hospital. It is about hospitals in general and the crazy time lapse it is when you enter one.
Today, we got a call that we had a bed so we headed to check in. There is nobody in the waiting area to get admitted. We sit there and wait for about 5 minutes until another person walked in to be admitted. THEN, someone comes out to get us. We have to sign the same pages we signed the last 12 times she was admitted. I tell her to save the paper as we have all of the consents and information forms and don't need more. We get a room.
We wander to the room and there is no bed. SHOCKER. This happens almost every time we come. They called us 4 hours ago, and we called in to let them know what time we would arrive. Yet, they were surprised we were "already here" as the tech said. Too funny. Also, the patient who was here before us still had his name outside the room. Interesting. That one was new.
So, we go sit on the couch while the tech gets the bed. He takes her blood pressure, temp, weight, height, etc. He makes her laugh which was nice. Her nurse comes in and does her assessment. Thankfully, they have gotten a bit more modern in that her medications now stay in the system between her admissions. Previously, they had to enter them one by one every single time we came. But, thankfully this is MUCH better.
Her doctor stops by and asks if she is on methotrexate. So much for the meds list staying in. He tells me that he is asking because for some reason methotrexate isn't suppported in the application (it is Cerner). He says that it blows up the system so they have to write paper orders for methotrexate. Surely, not every hospital using Cerner has to do this? Man, I hope not.
He says that he forgot his beeper so he has to leave but he will see her tomorrow. About 3 hours after arrival (admission if for two infusions that run overnight), the IV team comes in and draws blood and starts the IV. Now, we are sitting here waiting on pharmacy. I simply don't get how an order for a routine admission that has been scheduled for 3 weeks takes so long to process. I know how annoying it is to wait for the pharmacy when it is something more urgent, and it doesn't seem to be any different for urgent or routine. There must be a way to improve the speed of that process so that patients get treated faster.
I will continue later as the night goes on....:)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Healthcare, Patients, and Consumers
Over the last 6 days, I have been battling a health issue - something wrong with my kidney. I cannot help but realize how SLOWLY this process works. I have been in extreme pain, and it has had far reaching effects on my life and my family.
First, I went to the ER on Saturday. I was told to follow up with a urologist. I called my existing urologist and 8 others and couldn't be seen until Wednesday. I was having trouble keeping the pain in control and I was starting to really worry. Without another option, I went back to the ER where I was told again to see a urologist. At least Wednesday wasn't far away at that point. Shouldn't' it be easier to get an appointment for situations like this?
Then, I see the urologist who orders a nuclear renal scan. When he spoke with the ER doc on Monday, couldn't we have set this up to have done BEFORE the office visit?
They hand me a prescription for the scan and recommend the hospital radiology department that is closest to my house. I call them and they say they can do it December 5th. REALLY? That is 19 days away.
I call another hospital that is farther than my house. She says they can do it a 6 days from now which is my 40th birthday and the day I fly to Tennessee. I beg to have it done that day. She says not possible. I offered to pay her $100 if she could get me an appointment that same day. It didn't work, but I did get an appointment the next day. Better but still a long time. When you add in the time for it to be read and the time for the doctor to then get the reading and the time for the doc to then call me, it is a really long process. Couldn't we allow patients to pay extra to speed up this process similar to how I can pay an after hours fee for other services?
The bottom line is that I have been to the ER twice, a primary care doc once, a specialist once, had a CT scan, two ultrasounds, and a nuclear scan, and 6 days after I started having severe pain, i am not a single bit better off than I was when it began. Yes, I have pain medicine that makes me be able to tolerate it, but it puts me to sleep and I can't drive when I am taking it. The time that it takes to accomplish this continues to add to the bill as nobody is as concerned about making me well as I am. The rest just seem to pass me on to the next person without any responsibility of SOLVING the problem.
I have seen a lot of debates lately about whether we should call people patents or consumers in healthcare. At this point, I think patient is the only word that can be used - especially since you have to have a lot of patience to get anywhere. I have been thinking about Morgan's day of diagnosis when I found out that we couldn't get a specialist appointment for over 3 months. There simply has to be a better, faster, more efficient way, especially in severe situations.
First, I went to the ER on Saturday. I was told to follow up with a urologist. I called my existing urologist and 8 others and couldn't be seen until Wednesday. I was having trouble keeping the pain in control and I was starting to really worry. Without another option, I went back to the ER where I was told again to see a urologist. At least Wednesday wasn't far away at that point. Shouldn't' it be easier to get an appointment for situations like this?
Then, I see the urologist who orders a nuclear renal scan. When he spoke with the ER doc on Monday, couldn't we have set this up to have done BEFORE the office visit?
They hand me a prescription for the scan and recommend the hospital radiology department that is closest to my house. I call them and they say they can do it December 5th. REALLY? That is 19 days away.
I call another hospital that is farther than my house. She says they can do it a 6 days from now which is my 40th birthday and the day I fly to Tennessee. I beg to have it done that day. She says not possible. I offered to pay her $100 if she could get me an appointment that same day. It didn't work, but I did get an appointment the next day. Better but still a long time. When you add in the time for it to be read and the time for the doctor to then get the reading and the time for the doc to then call me, it is a really long process. Couldn't we allow patients to pay extra to speed up this process similar to how I can pay an after hours fee for other services?
The bottom line is that I have been to the ER twice, a primary care doc once, a specialist once, had a CT scan, two ultrasounds, and a nuclear scan, and 6 days after I started having severe pain, i am not a single bit better off than I was when it began. Yes, I have pain medicine that makes me be able to tolerate it, but it puts me to sleep and I can't drive when I am taking it. The time that it takes to accomplish this continues to add to the bill as nobody is as concerned about making me well as I am. The rest just seem to pass me on to the next person without any responsibility of SOLVING the problem.
I have seen a lot of debates lately about whether we should call people patents or consumers in healthcare. At this point, I think patient is the only word that can be used - especially since you have to have a lot of patience to get anywhere. I have been thinking about Morgan's day of diagnosis when I found out that we couldn't get a specialist appointment for over 3 months. There simply has to be a better, faster, more efficient way, especially in severe situations.
Thankful Day 17
Today, I am thankful for medicine. As much as I have been frustrated by the SLOW process of healthcare (blog coming soon), I had an incredibly fancy test today to measure how my kidneys are working. It was completely fascinating to understand how they were measuring the input and output. We have some amazingly smart people in this world. Also, I was humbled today by the person administering the test who has survived ovarian cancer, had a kidney stone that was 4cm (fist sized), and who is having open heart surgery now. She was such a positive caring sprit, and I am thankful for her.
Also, I am thankful to have met Dan Hutchens. He died very young last night, and he will be missed. I don't understand how that happens to such a young guy, but my thoughts and prayers are with his family tonight.
Also, I am thankful to have met Dan Hutchens. He died very young last night, and he will be missed. I don't understand how that happens to such a young guy, but my thoughts and prayers are with his family tonight.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Thankfulness Day 16
Today, I am thankful for ice cream. Morgan and I had a rough day, and she asked if we could go get some ice cream. As we sat together and ate it, it seemed like everything would be ok. I cherish those moments.
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