Can you beleive this, what next

[myhome]

DALLAS - An emergency room might be the last place you'd think would have do-it-yourself check-in.But Parkland Memorial Hospital has three self-service computer kiosks, similar to those used by airport passengers and hotel guests. And so do a handful of other hospital ERs, where the long wait in line to register and explain symptoms can be grueling.True emergency cases

[scrapdoo]

I cannot bel;ieve this. I kow we are going high tech, but this is an area that you need to see someone to register. Most of our hospitals in the area have reception/assessment personnel that can interact with patients to sign them up. They have been instructed on reading faces and voices. Some people overreact to pain and some dismiss or minimize. I think hospitals are cutting a valuable resource!

[myhome]

I cannot bel;ieve this. I kow we are going high tech, but this is an area that you need to see someone to register. Most of our hospitals in the area have reception/assessment personnel that can interact with patients to sign them up. They have been instructed on reading faces and voices. Some people overreact to pain and some dismiss or minimize. I think hospitals are cutting a valuable resource!

 

 

I had to post this here. I actually thought it was a joke that I'd been sent, until I read the story off of Fox News.

[rdittman]

I remember going to this one hospital after I had a TIA, and nobody was manning the reception area. You had a manual sign in form, dropped it in a box, and somebody from inside a room where the form was dropped into, made an assessment and then they came out to get you in order. Since I had multiple TIA, I took the easier route after that, and the safer one too, and that was to call 911. The paramedics take you directly in and you forgo that strange practice of signing yourself in.

 

Bob

[dstraugh]

It is amazing how modern technology is taking precedence over "human" interaction and "cutting costs" is being done with the justification of saving time. More time and money should be spent on ensuring the staff are performing the jobs they are getting paid for. Self-service is ok for grocery store checkouts and the local Library. You're right Stu, What's next??

[bstockman]

Wow That is UN believable.. maybe they have antibiotics in m & m dispensers. Part of checking in a patient .. is Traige.. assessment. Think I would go to a different hospital.

 

 

 

[merichsen]

Next?

Maybe

infomercials for do yourself slice and stitch kits for $19.99 and if you act now we'll even throw in a free local anesthetic to the first 500 callers

Sponsored by your insurance company

[Da Ole Guy]

Self service? Come on. When I went in the ER with my stroke I had no idea what was up though I had been advised by my Ex an RN it sounded stroke. If it had not been for my Debbie I would not have gotten through the forms. For one my right hand just didn't want to write. I was dizzy and nervous. Honestly we need the human touch in crisis cases. It might be just me, but had I alone seen this device I would have been put off. Also if I had to deal with "Chose a Language" I would have probably have left and gone home.

 

A bit off topic now, but ER related. The ER event was bad enough. Never in my life had I felt like a comodity or an "item" in my life. Sorry but I was extremely unhappy with ER treatment on initial diagnosis. I was capable of intelligent speech and response, but the trauma techs addressed Debbie on how I felt. Off course she had to ask me. Talk about a three way game. This was one. Once screening was done it got slightly better. But then my assigned staff neuologist showed up. She had treated Debbie for RLS prior and didn't even acknowledge her.

 

The attending staff backed up like this doctor was queen. Carefully she opened her small brown leather bag and took a relex hammer out. Never once did she ask me anything. She just whacked a few times, looked at my eyes and BP. THis women was an automaton. The whole neurological "work up" was three mintues. Leaving she only chastised me for my bad habits and told me I was lucky to be alive, then left. I had not had any tests yet she barked some orders to staff and disappeared.

 

I saw her one more time. Agiain simple reflex tests and a look at my eyes. Then again a chastizing on habit changes. Never once a reassuring or kind word. Then... POOF... she was gone. Six total minutes with me by now. I found out she was the chief neurologist. Her bill was $1500 and came with a note "Payment in Full Only". She's gettng $50 a month like it or not. BTW I got her bill within three days of discharge.

 

The disconcerting thing was seeing the "God-Like" aura almost given to some doctors on the floor. In honesty the ones that cared for me were everyday nurses and interns that seemed to actually care. The kindest thing was later that first night at around three AM a nurse came in my room. My daughter and Debbie and dozed off and I was an emotional wreck and kinda scared. Her name is Alfie and she took my BP and paused. Quietly she whispered, "Hang in there, you got over the hump". Then delicately she wiped a few tears I was leaking and left. That meant more to me than anything.

 

Later that night my daughter had left and Deb exhausted still slept on the small couch. I had dozed and woke in the dark. A dim light caught my eye at the left. It was Alfie sitting in a chair close to my bed side. She was doing her notes with a small light. Concerned I asked if everyting was okay. She smiled and told me it was, she just thought I needed someone near by. I didn't say anything. Those damned uncontrollable emotions choked me up. I didn't sleep to well that first night, but I felt refreshed in the morning. Alfie kind of renewed my faith in people and caring. Now that is human health care (ing)! I would have paid her $1500 with no questions for those few moments of kindness.

 

AJ

[Guest lwisman]

I don't remember the ER when I had my stroke. I was unconscious. My family did have to battle a bit. At first they said it must be drugs, etc. But, it was diagnosed fairly quickly, it was found I had no drugs in my system, and I was given excellent care.

 

Since then I have gone to the ER twice. Once when I fell and dislocated my shoulder and the other because I had headaches (unusual for me) for three days and was worried.

 

In the first situation, we called 911. They were here in 3 minutes and extremely knowledgeable and professional. They suggested I not go to the hospital I usually use because my shoulder was obviously dislocated they would not keep me and there was a closer less busy ER (which has since closed).

 

In the second event I drove myself. I walk with a cart so I am very obvious. I told them I was a stroke survivor and I jumped the queue. They had a doctor who specializes in stroke there in five minutes. They did tests including a CT scan. There was not a problem. My regular doctor, whose office I called earlier in the day, showed up at the ER, because she had time and knew I was there.

 

My sister has been in the ER twice in the last year. Both times they were quick, professional, and solved the problem.

 

My point is that not all ER experiences are negative.

[Da Ole Guy]

lwisman I am sorry if my reply was negative on the ER. My Ex is an RN/ER nurse and I know care is paramont. The ER I went to was here in Arlington Virginia and my Ex later said the most likely cause of the impersonal treatment was my lack of insurance. Sadly she told me that uninsured patients get the absolute basic for life support - no more. She also told me it is standard to color code a chart indicating that you have no insurance. She related a sad joke from her hospital. The term was "Book them, bandage them and boot them". Shame human life has come to what can be made off our misery.

 

I know from an experience with Debbie, my partner, she was treated superbly in the ER (Yes she is insured). I was relaxed staying with her in 2000 then seeing the people working hard to care for her. The same applied when my daughter at 6 had an allergic reaction to crabs and was suffocating. The issue there was controlling my Ex who just happened to work there too.

 

I responded based on the gist of automating ERs to faciliate faster admission and care. Great idea for retail, but as with anything dealing with an indivual not a thing that can be passed over to a machine. I far from want to drag economic politics into here. We have enough to deal with at it is. It is that I as a citizen and not a patient really feel health care needs an extremely needed examination itself.

 

AJ

[Outsider]

My ER adventure went something like this.

Ambulance arrived @ the hospital and the paramedics rolled me in to the ER where I was greeted by at least a friendly staff and a young Doctor who had NO idea what was going on with me.

I was 350 miles from home and my wife only knew I was in trouble because the officer who was with me when the ambulance got there to pick me up called her and told her where I was heading.

Well the doctor without a CT scan or MRI took a "SWAG"OR Scientific Wild A**ed Guess and told my wife that they thought I had a brain tumor :uhm:

Then the funniest thing he brings me one of those cups you use for Drug testing and pointed me to the mens room and instructed me to urinate into this cup??

Whoa BOY I looked at him and told him there was NO way on God's green earth that was going to happen at that point I could not even remember how to undo the belt I was wearing.

So he said it's either that or we have to cath you

[If you've never had that experience I urge you to avoid it if at all possible at least while in a concience state of mind lol]

This was the first of many comments I would make that made me feel as if I'd shot myself in the foot.

I told him you're going to have to do what you gotta do but I aint peeing in no cup at this point.

If there are any doctors or nurses here I wish someone could explain to me the point and purpose of putting a 3/4 inch tube into a barely 1/4 inch hole.

I almost come off that gurney when he inserted that tube in my most sensative area

The rest of my stay at Jefferson City memorial is a bit of a blur.

At some point they transfered me to Ft. Sanders hospital in Knoxville TN Don't remember getting there I went to sleep in one hospital and woke up in another but other that the cathader<sp?>

My ER adventure was otherwise funny aside from being scared to death.

As for automated ERs? BAD,BAD idea in my opinion.

Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[scrapdoo]

I was also catheterized during my stroke care. Thank goodness I was unaware of this procedure. I only remember begging to remove it at inpatient rehabilitation. :please: After lots of discussion, the catheter was removed. I loved the nurse that removed it! :I-Thank-You: Of course not the end of urinating issues. When I used the bathroom, I received an ultrasound of my bladder to make sure I completely emptied it. Otherwise, I would get the cathater back. Trust me, I made sure I wouldn't need that again!!!

 

I was transferred back to the hospital for surgery. My neuro had decided this would help me. OK, can you guess the big discussion? They wanted to, but my doctor said if I was maintaining control then I wouldn't need it. :My Hero:

 

Well, the short of it...I am a woman and I know how painful it was for me. :BashHead: I bet it was even more painful for you. :yikes:

 

You have my deepest sympathy. :hug:

[ksaul]

aj,

i think we all have some prett y wild medical stories. we ought to get together and write a book of can you believe it stories - we could donate the proceeds to strokenet.....maybe even get on leno or letterman. there i go again . i actually had some outstanding docs and nurses but come to think of it the only reason i got any attention when i first went to the er was cause my girlfriend stood in the middle of reception and yelled - i think my friend is having a stroke! perhaps soon we could just email the er or for the technically up to date use our cell phone to text the docs! cheers kathy

[myhome]

I was also catheterized during my stroke care. Thank goodness I was unaware of this procedure. I only remember begging to remove it at inpatient rehabilitation. :please: After lots of discussion, the catheter was removed. I loved the nurse that removed it! :I-Thank-You: Of course not the end of urinating issues. When I used the bathroom, I received an ultrasound of my bladder to make sure I completely emptied it. Otherwise, I would get the cathater back. Trust me, I made sure I wouldn't need that again!!!

 

I was transferred back to the hospital for surgery. My neuro had decided this would help me. OK, can you guess the big discussion? They wanted to, but my doctor said if I was maintaining control then I wouldn't need it. :My Hero:

 

Well, the short of it...I am a woman and I know how painful it was for me. :BashHead: I bet it was even more painful for you. :yikes:

 

You have my deepest sympathy. :hug:

 

I was back in my youth a Registered Nursing Orderly, and as part of my job was to put catheters in, so it figured that I knew how to remove them as well Well when I was admitted to hospital they had mentioned a catheter, I told them I'd remove them just as fast as they installed them, so they decided to scrub the idea

[Da Ole Guy]

Kathy it's funny but that idea has crossed my mind. In dealing with my stroke I had conjured up quite a few humorous stories to lighten moments where clueless people ask at times embarrasing questions. Most are a bit off color, but here is one I think is okay.

 

I was asked if the stroke and loss of feelings effect my ability to control my bladder. I laughed and said in some ways. "I am glad I dress to the right in pants now. That way if I have an accident I can't feel my leg get wet." I have many more, but this is a family board. I got going one day recently in a small pub Deb and I go to to watch sports when the topic came up. For close to fifteen minutes I had everyone in stitches with my comments. Being a former bartender I had before told jokes to keep the moods light at the bar. I closed by saying "whatch, no some guy will steal my pitches and make the Leno Show. But the good side the same guy might get stuck in Vegas opening for Barry Manilow too. I'll pass on Leno, thank you".

 

As with any life issue I think we need to make light of our faults. It might be a defense mechanism, but it realy can help. I think it shows people that you are dealing fine, even if deep inside you still have conflict. In line with the topic of this thread that is my shock over the automated process of ER sign in. It takes the personal side out of a patient who usually at that moment wants nothing more than a listening ear, not a keypad and beeps.

 

Maybe I am old fashioned but far too many things are being given to a machine to do for us. They idea of human interaction is being removed. That is unsettling to me. Is our society becoming forced to be impersonal? I don't know about the rest of you, but when I do a transaction I really like to hear a person say hello and thank you in closing. This even effects families and gatherings. I was out to lunch recently and what people. Groups would be seated and inevitably withn minutes, one or two were on iPods, the others on cell phones. No one was even talking to their lunch mates. Sad.

 

When I saw this in hostpital I noted a few times. Nursing assistants came into my room to pick up a tray or note my BP off the monitor. Three of four wore iPods and were oblivious to me laying there. Technology is fantastic to me, but there needs to be a point to how much it removes us from each other and real contact.

 

AJ

 

 

[JohnI]

I agree with Hostbob, always go to 911 if you think you have stroke symptoms, better service all around!

-JohnI

[merichsen]

I agree with AJ in that in life it is important to make light of our faults. I have always thought it was important to have a sense humor when it comes to one's self for good mental health. Shortly after my stroke I renamed myself "Nemo" because like he I was struggling to find my way back with a gimpy fin. My family was very annoyed with me and couldn't understand how I could make a joke out of something so serious. I wasn't actually trying to make a joke. I knew that seeing me like that for them was a downer. I guess I thought if I showed them I was okay enough to smile, they might too. You don't believe this? Do you?? Truth