JFC Man the **** up people

[The Mad Monk]

Use of the word "should" implies imperfection in the alternative.

[Dr Strangelove]

Hydrogen peroxide has literally no antibiotic properties whatsoever. It isn't harmful to pour it on a wound, but it also does sweet ****-all to help.

Actually hydrogen peroxide is mildly toxic to unprotected tissues and could ****** healing.

[Aeson]

So if an unconscious person is brought to the ER from the scene of an accident they should have to wake up first, give their billing info or go to the ATM to get some cash, then they can be treated? Or do we just leave the person lying on the highway until they can remove themselves or find a method of paying for the removal of their corpse?

[Guynemer]

If they didn't have the foresight to pin a $20 bill to their chest before becoming unconscious, well, let's be honest, they can hardly be considered a person, can they?

[-Jrabbit]

I got perfectly adequate treatment

The American health care system has the best goddamned adequacy in the freaking world, and don't you forget it!!

[Aeson]

I really hate unconscious people, they're the worst

They're all like, "OMG, look at me, I'm unconscious here ..." and making you step over their limp body and get your feet sticky in the pool of blood they are lying in ... just to get to the vending machine in the ER waiting room.

[snrjefe]

The unconscious aren't so bad, at least they're quiet. It's those whiny *****es complaining about having to wait for treatment of an obviously not life-threatening condition that bug me. Talk about needing to "man the **** up"...

Rite Aid is open 24 hours, minimal wait, and $2.49 for some butterfly closures. Hell you could probably pick up a decent first aid kit for less than $20.

[Ben Kenobi]

Had it once where I slipped when playing raquetball and gashed my head. Couldn't figure out why folks were freaking out until I put my hand on my forehead and it was sticky. Unfortunately my friend and I ended up spending the evening in the er.

Reg - what's so hard to understand about Triage? It's not 'first come, first serve'.

[MikeH]

Wow, reg has managed to be so stupid that everyone including Ben thinks he's an idiot. Winning at Poly.

[regexcellent]

The problem isn't triage, the problem is the fact that clearly there were too many patients and not enough staff at this ER. I can only assume this was due to the fact that it is underfunded and understaffed (it looked that way; not even enough receptionists to handle the people coming in and also the floor and furniture were dirty) and the REASON it's underfunded and understaffed is almost certainly due to the fact that the ER is a big money loser as it is at most hospitals. The solution to this is higher prices or entry fees. Obviously if you're unconscious and can't handle a transaction charging one at the start makes no sense but the majority of the patients there definitely could and should have.

snrjefe, I put butterfly bandages on it myself when I got the cut.

[MikeH]

So you think hospitals should waste money being massively overstaffed so you can get your minor cut treated in the wrong place, fast?

[regexcellent]

Uh no? I'm saying the ER should charge prices that make it profitable.

I was told by a doctor, as opposed to a snarky brit on poly who's used to ****ty socialized medicine, that I was right to go to the ER anyway. So being upset that it was going to take 5-6 hours to get seen is pretty ****ing reasonable.

People with more serious conditions than me were getting up and leaving in frustration.

[Ben Kenobi]

The problem isn't triage, the problem is the fact that clearly there were too many patients and not enough staff at this ER.

I've been in an American ER with a friend before - your wait-times are significantly shorter than in Canada.

I can only assume this was due to the fact that it is underfunded and understaffed (it looked that way; not even enough receptionists to handle the people coming in and also the floor and furniture were dirty) and the REASON it's underfunded and understaffed is almost certainly due to the fact that the ER is a big money loser as it is at most hospitals. The solution to this is higher prices or entry fees. Obviously if you're unconscious and can't handle a transaction charging one at the start makes no sense but the majority of the patients there definitely could and should have.

The concern of this model is people choosing not to come in to get treated because "they don't see it as significant an issue", and then later getting taken in because it became a much larger issue. The solution is to take a portion of the money that's being spent and give it to people directly. If people have stewardship over their own health then they are more likely to take actions that are directly beneficial to them, because there is an incentive for them to do so. I'm a big proponent of health saving accounts. It's a market solution to this problem that's superior to charging people a nominal fee for er access.

Really, it's just a small minority of those who are in an er that are abusing it. Most (although not all), are folks who do use it responsibly.

[Dauphin]

Uh no? I'm saying the ER should charge prices that make it profitable.

I was told by a doctor, as opposed to a snarky brit on poly who's used to ****ty socialized medicine, that I was right to go to the ER anyway. So being upset that it was going to take 5-6 hours to get seen is pretty ****ing reasonable.

People with more serious conditions than me were getting up and leaving in frustration.

They should be able to charge on a percentage of income basis. Wealthier people will think again about wasting time too then.

[onodera]

Why doesn't triage order the patients by the case complexity to minimize average waiting time?