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The new controversy coming out is a survey which found that ERs will treat VIPs (hospital donors, celebrities) with a little more attention and TLC than other patients. No one has found that sicker patients are being neglected due to this. The triage system still works but with everything equal there is still special expedited care given to these people. Is that wrong? I am not sure. I think some celebs would cause a distraction if not moved through. As a doctor, I have moved through the ER real quick as a favor to me. We never take care of our "own" enough so I appreciate this benny and don't feel bad a bit. What do you think?
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4 comments:
The only thing that makes it right to take care of our own first is that it puts them back out there sooner to help others. That's the nature of the beast. This is done in all walks of life; by law enforcement, firefighters, etc. Unfortunately it seems to be reserved for the higher ups in rank not us underlings who are in the trenches.
As a full-time ER guy, I have seen one or two fo these VIP's hustled in my the hospital adminsitrator for the "the best." Apart from that condesencion, it really never bothered me. The VIP's were always very appreciative, and there complaints were no less BS than the 50% or so clogging up the ER with minimal crap. And I've noticed that the VIP's don't make a habit of it, unlike the non-urgent frequent fliers that abuse every ER in the nation. SO yeah, overall I'm cool with it. At least the VIP's are contributing something, one hopes.
Has our care deteriorated to the point that anyone, VIP or not, would prefer something different?
I found when a famous person came to my urgent care thinking he needed just a CBC, and everyone wanted to break routines for him, that it could have made his care suffer in a very serious way. Turns out he was very happy that I insisted on seeing him and finding out why he thought that was all he needed and he really just needed to be treated in the great way we treated all our patients. Why do people assume that our routines are for our benefit and not theirs? I would think Micheal Jackson and his doctor are proof enough. If wait times in your ER are too long for people with good reasons to be in the ER, your donors and administrators are the ones who can do something to solve the problem for everyone.
In Family Practice the ones that try to work around the routines to get straight to me because of some special relationship are the ones who don't get their chart pulled so I can't have as intelligent a discussion with them. As if our charts were just written for adminstrators and billing auditors... oops, it's getting to the point where they are, maybe routine care has deteriorated enough that special care should be sought.
Great article, thank you!
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