Quote:
Originally Posted by AKA_Monet
The primary goal of the ER is to stabilize the patient. Period. That is their directive. That is how hospitals "evaluate" their practice. I cannot stress this enough:
FULL RESOLUTION TO HEAL OF A SERIOUS CHRONIC MEDICAL PROBLEM BY EMERGENCY ROOM CARE DOES NOT WORK!
This told to me by the Chief of Internal Medicine at a major hospital in my area... People cannot think the emergency medicine can be used in replacement for seeing their primary care health provider. Yes, go to emergency if your are bleeding. Yes, go to emergency in you have a 200 F temperature. Yes, go to emergency if you are hacking up purple stuff. But routine medical visits just to see doctors... YOu will not get seen properly... The emergency physician does not detect those things...
You have to follow up. Apparently, it sounds like this woman did not do that and she lost her life. But if there are 4-5 independent reviews and 20 times it shows that this woman skipped her appointments, then what are we suppose to say?
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This is almost exactly what I was told by one of my law school classmates (previously an ER doctor in a major teaching hospital). At some point, the patient has to take responsibility for at least part of their medical situation.