Inappropriate ER Visit

when it comes to inappropriate ER visits- everyone loses

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[impossiblealbatross]

Primary care physician assistant here: PCP not having availability for seven months hits too close to home. The healthcare provider shortage does exist. Unfortunately, that does push a lot of patients to the emergency room. Where a healthcare provider shortage also exists. It is a very dangerous downward spiral.

[A---tizz]

I had a very sobering discussion with an ER doctor. He was kind of annoyed at me for asking questions about my newly diagnosed blood clot (he diagnosed it) and my fear of bleeding to death because of a very symptomatic fibroid. When he started getting annoyed I told him I had seen him before when I had diverticulitis and by the time I saw him for that I had basically been starving to death for six months and my doctors hadn’t helped me. The diverticulitis perfed my bowel the day after he admitted me. I said that he was the only Dr that seemed to care about the diverticulitis. I told him that he could literally be the only doctor a person has even for someone like me who has a doctor. He sat down and answered my questions . He actually called after I was discharged to let me know that he went to the hospitalist to have them give me a referral to hematology because another thing I had mentioned was how difficult it was for me to get a referral.

[fulltimeslackerii]

All too real. We really gotta incentivize primary care more

[jasonlove]

Good one Ben👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻”yes when all else fails, send to the ER for further evaluation “. I cannot tell you how many times urgent care told me that line too

[ComfyChaos]

Not to mention, my PCP office will often refuse to see patients for anything other than an annual (booked a year in advance), or very simple visit such as an ear cleaning (but again, they book out MONTHS in advance). I have given up on my PCP except for annuals and clearances for surgeries. Urgent care and ER for anything that can’t wait. 😢

[amylynn]

Primary care physician here. I tell patients to come back in 2 months to see if their medication is working and check labs. They don’t come back but keep asking for medication. I tell them I will give them one more month but they must make an appointment. They either don’t make one or they cancel as soon as they get their refill. Eventually I tell them if they refuse to be seen they are not getting any more medication. That’s when they go to the ER because the hours are more convenient. I have a limit. If you are on a medication that requires monitoring of your kidney function for example, I can’t just refill it for two years without you coming in.

[tsukikage]

Thankfully where I live even if you can't get a visit with your preferred provider for an inappropriate amount of time, you can usually see someone else within that speciality (and perhaps at another clinic) much sooner.

[shelaghsalisbury]

Have chronic condition that is causing me to feel dizzy. Call GP (general practitioner, term for family doctor in Canada), secretary at GP tells me to go to urgent care. Go to walk in clinic, walk in clinic tells me to go to ER. Go to ER, they tell me it’s inappropriate for me to be there, I need to talk to my GP. At least it didn’t cost me any money, just time.

[stephaniehowe]

Yea I have tried walkin care 4 hr late.
Urgent Care
We don't close for several hours but we can't take you.

That? Is why I went to the ER for an Ear infection.
I had already tried my PCP
Tried that again that morning

Nope

[tracylamb]

I’m very blessed to have a wonderful PCP.

[minajones]

The urgent care centers around me are closed most of the time unfortunately

[route]

Good thing for me there are multiple urgent care centers atound me that are, i guess owned by the main hospital (same name). That said last time i went to urgent care, they sent me to the ER. That said i think it was an emergency.

[kenny]

What does primary care doctor different from family medicine doctor? Are they the same?

[johnk]

Get another pcp? Or telehealth? It’s annoying but come on

[JaneAustenAteMyCat]

I thought it was bad in the UK having to wait to see a GP (which I presume is the same as PCP), but seven months is ridiculous. People must end up dying in the meantime...? Is it countrywide or just in some areas?

[The_Life]

I'm in the UK and was put on a 70-week waiting list for a Neuro consult to get my existing prescription for my migraines prescribed to me over here again. 2 years. It sucks everywhere 🫠