NursingLink

Part of the issue with the expense of healthcare, is the malpractice. People who are litiginous can sue and win millions. This has foreced MD's to "cover" their butts, by ordering unecessary tests. I konow that may be just a small part of healthcare expenses, but trust me, it is definately a contributing factor.

I had an uninsured pt yesterday who had been treated had the state hospital the prior week before. She was having abdominal pain, but all her tests ate the stste hosp came back negative. So, she came to the hospital whre I work. She was admitted in the obs unit and was recieving Morphine 6 mg IVP q4 hrs for her pain. Needless to say she was knocked out cold for the majority of my shift. The casemanager in the meantime began to work on getting her d/c'd.

The pt's family came to visit at 5pm, and suddenly, my pt was awake. I informed her we were doing d/c planning. The GI doc was waiting on her records from the state hosp. The pt was annoyed and said, they never did that test where they put a tube down my throat. I explained that since other tests CT scan, labs etc were neg, then there would be no reason to do endoscopy.The pt was thne insisting that she have endoscopy.

I was floored at this womans nerve. But, since there is always fear of litigation, she may bully the doc into getting her way. Disgusting!

So, how is someone uninsured being treated unfairly I ask? She recieved treatment and a crapload of Morphine. Must be nice.

Texas is the largest state of uninsured pts. It also caps malpractice suits to 250,000. I have never seen an uninsured pt turned away in the 2 years I've been here.

RNprogressive says ...

If there were universal electronic medical records, she would have had her complete record and your Docs would have been able to evaluate if she was drug seeking or legit in her complaints.  A lot of time and cost would have been saved.  No risk of unnecessary procedures since her entire record would be there, best practices for her type of case would be followed and she would have been treated or referred to a psych program for eval.  See=== a revolution in the way care is provided is needed now.

I have no problem with having computer saved records for meds............but not for all the health record.  I dont want big brother leaning on me  if there is something in my past that could be 30 yrs ago, but if the occasion is forgotten through time............I dont agree with the whole idea.

lets see,  DNA has linked all of the following as giving someone a higher chance of having any of the following...

diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, gout....that might not be something people want known to potential employers.....

RNprogressive says ...

You must live a pretty wild life in Georgia for there to be something in your medical records the government could use against you.  Are you in the witness protection program or something?  STD's etc aren't that big a deal.  The benefits outweigh the risks. 

Well, you have insulted me and in a very unproffesional way.   I find it offensive, I have lost all respect for you as a nurse and  as a person.  I quoted you because in case somebody might have emailed you to warn you  that you you might want to edit your post for offensive posting in what is suppose to be a nursing forum in an unprofessional posting.  Tthis way your message wont go away cuz its right here.    Have you ever known anybody who was under md care and being treated for symptoms those that resumbled  MS.......................was unemployed for 6 monthes from his hospital position, worked in a md's office for triage............suddenly half a year flitted away, and then his symptoms that had the md's thinking he had MS, started improving.  Later they abated totally.   He couldnt get his old job back because his facility in the same department, that he would be a risk to the facility due to inability to physically perform the functions as a nurse.  When he used his old supervisor as a reference, and he was a dang great nurse, he knew they wouldnt hire him when the person interviewing him asked  "so are you feeling better these days?  Have your symptoms improved?    He took a job 70 miles away and moved due to that.  On a standard  nursing application, it asks if you are able to fulfill the physical requirements for this position.  His Hippa protection was nonexistant.  I told him he needed to sue  for his hippa  rights violation.  He said since he didnt know exactly who told the person he wasnt fit for duty due to physical problems.   He finally got a job south of Atlanta, had to move.............for 3 monthes he had to live in one of those suite hotels that have discounts if you rent for a week.   For 5 years now, he has ran the Peachtree road race marathon.  

What if I was in a witness protection plan?    Dont you think if that was a possibility, that would risk my life and my kids life?  Are you any good at observing Hippa laws?  I would be bothered with the type person you seem to be regarding hippa with that comment.  What about the comments about 'being wild' and   STD's?   Where did you get your nursing license, RN veryUPROFESSIONAL?  Walmart? 

I would say 'good luck'.........but Im not a hippocrite.  I hope you dont have good luck.  Would you have made that statement if I was Diabetic?

Angie

Nurse Jenny, I do hope your family stays very healthy.  sorry to hear that you've lost benefits.  Sorry to repeat myself but: I'm waiting for my COBRA benefits to kick in.  Under the ARRA provision, I will pay 184.00 a month for individual coverage for the first 9 months of COBRA, then it goes to 533.00 a month for the remaining 9 months (if I need it that long).  Right now, until the notification comes comfirming that I actually have the COBRA, I have put off my nephrology visits for the 2 procrit shots a month ($1800.00) and the iron infusions twice a month.  I know my blood count is down again because I'm crawling into bed around 7:30 pm.  My Hgb was 6 and went up to 8.2 with the shots. My nephrologist told me to start paperwork for disability benefits however, I can work when my blood count is up, and I want to work.  The first thing I'm going to do when the COBRA OK arrives is make my lab appointment for blood work.  Too scared now because they'll make me pay up front and that won't be pretty.  So, please--hang on to your health.  I was born with crappy kidneys, lost my benefited position in January and am steadily looking for work I am qualified to do.  I have 18 months of COBRA before I really start freaking.

Angie of Georgia, Geez lighten up it was a joke!  I guess you don't live a wild life in Georgia.  I didn't imply you had any sort of condition it was an example.  I didn't imply employers know your medical records only your doctor.  Also a horrible story about your friend with MS symptoms but if he was cleared of having MS and he is physically able to do the work then this would be in portable medical records as well.  If he is cured then he doesn't have any diagnosis so he is capable of working and running as you state in your lengthy message.  I never implied anyone was allowed to violate HIPPA laws only you could transport your medical records easily in a data stick or another device and hand them to any ER Doc etc if you needed care away from home or at a specialist.  Of course the highest firewall etc would need to be on these to prevent hacking etc.

Actually I have 3 degrees from excellent schools and they teach laughter is the best medicine, lighten up.  It wasn't abusive especially compared to some of the things written here.

Good job Angie you hit the Republican talking point of the day.  2-3 pages on Google all address the same issue from every conservative site and blog.  Czars-- many presidents have used them, Bush certainly did.  Admittedly our President is using more in this administration probably because he needs their expertise quickly to solve the problems left by Bush.  Bush ran up the deficet, Bush started a war of choice, Bush allowed our infrastucture to founder etcetcetcetcetcetc. 

No one is talking about an exclusively government run health care system in America only the right wing talking heads are saying this to scare you. BOO!!!  All of you do more reading away from Fox, Washington Times and Rush and O'Reilly the Entertainers.

Czars report to the president and are defined in the dictionary as::An appointed official having special powers to regulate or supervise an activity  The pay Czar is working probono by the way.

I still don't know what you are talking about my ethics and legalities.  I got it his former employer shouldn't have said anything about his physical abilities if he said it was related to a specific condition. Your friend can sue.  I agree in upholding HIPPA and consistently do this in my life.

Okie dokie, john..............I'll quit being mad over her tasteless 'JOKE'..................honestly, its a touchy subject, each and every comment referring to me as the partier type, mentioned STD's.............Im blonde and have fought to prove myself that I am every bit as qulaified as the next nurse who passed the nclex.  I was normally in 'the cool group' in social circles, I perky, have fun, Im high on life, not drugs or booze...........but have never done anything to embarrass my family or children.    I havent gone out for New Years Eve in 10 years.  And yes, I reread her comments, and feel no change in my thoughts.  Who wants universal medical records?   I dont.  They proved in the last couple of days they cant keep the federal buildings safe in Washington.  As a test they checked to see how the federal people who were suppose to be guarding these federal places......were incompetant.........and one of the officers was caught putting a baby through an X ray machine.   Nobody needs to be put in an xray machine.  That kid can come out with cancer later in life.  That officer got fired..........but sued the govt and got his job back.   They showed this when they put a segment on about cyber attacks by possibly north korea to DOD, the white house, Wall Street, and the treasury.   Do any of yall still want computerized medical records?   Well, maybe the North Koreans would be better at running our country than nobama would................actually, I feel safer if they were running America.  Woudnt it be interesting if the dude with the bad hair cut sent nobama to guantanimo...........and had him be roomies with the Weedins or whoever the dudes are who got a condo in Bermuda <they were arressted for being in the taliban or something>.   Think about it.............Obama, Pelosi, Murtha, and Rob Emanueel as roomies at Guantanimo.    Ok, Im going back to bed now.   Sweet dreams to everyone.  

one more thing to MaggyC i hope you get your very much needed iron and procrit soon. you may already know this but  i wanted to let you know that 2 companies who make your procrit are AMGEN and JOM pharmaceuticals each has a customer #  . this line is avail for you when you need it to ask them about "compassionate use" meaning free or reduced payment for medications neccessary to promote life.  1800 2729376 is AMGEN and 18664895957 is for JOM good luck and happy rbc building

I'm the first to admit electronic charting is cumbersome when you start and they need to find some better charting methods but saying the patient is always the best source of accurate info is not true.  Pts seeking narcotics, those to ill to respond, the elderly who have mutiple docs who prescribe conflicting meds, those in accidents too young to give good info and before family arrives, etc.  Truly they need to place adequate security on the systems to prevent hacking etc.  But there is no going backwards to papercharting the risk of errors and medication errors is very great, there is plenty of research on that in the literature.

I PREDICT, electric charting will come into fashion.  We will have some type of universal computer bank, where all of our information is stored.  I further predict, that this system will fail.  It will be hacked into, need to be rebooted in emergency situation (valuable information will be unavailble to large sections of the public), maybe due to power outage, computer viruses, lightening strikes, etc.   The result will be THIS, we will be chipped at birth.  Just like people chip their prized horse, or their pedigreed dog.  Your information will be implanted, and stored on your person.  They will declare that your information will be 'more secure' in this way...no hackers, and readily available.  And for the record, I am not endorsing this.  I am not a dog or a horse, I was born free.  This will be the end of freedom.  Why?  We'll be tracked, just like your cell phone can be tracked.  This will be the end of privacy, and just the begining of big brother.

BTW, those that have known me for years.  Also, know that I've been predicting this for over 20 years.

going back to medical records for a moment:

From a legal standpoint, any mention of psych meds or treatment, or of having an STD, can jeopardize your application for certain jobs, particularly those requiring a clearance.

one point about our electonic charting and this definitely relates to universal healthcare the gov will be in  your business and it will be SO easy.  that is if you make it out of the hospital in one piece.  ha  ..our biggest contributor to the new charting system was GE which is also in line to get millions of gov contracts for additional "Healthcare Spending" interesting they have their hands in both pies the universal healthcare option and the electronic charting .  HMMMMM anyone see some alarming connections? also to address the lit that speaks to less errors with electronic charting our hospital has more quality variances now  than we ever did with paper charting. not sure why maybe its a learning curve.

Thank you Kellyj!  I will check it out.

RNprogressive, I understand that one of the proposals is that no one can be denied insurance for any reason.  If this is passed, and i seriously doubt that it will be, can you tell me the cost to insure everyone? obama can not. when he was asked he said he didn't know. Either it is so expensive they do not want to tell us, or they are so stupid they really do not know. I do not like obama, but I can not believe that the president of the United States is stupid. so my thought is it is very expensive. 

I really have never seen any cost published yet. If you know RNprogressive, I would be interested to know.  Although I am concerned with government getting deeper into our lives, my biggest concern is the cost to taxpayers.

I also rant because I care about America.

RNprogressive says ...

Are you all so woefully uninformed of the healthcare proposal's on the table or just making things up.  A major tenant of this new healthcare reform is that no one can be denied insurance for any reason.  No one for any reason. That means if there is something in your record that any physician can see you will still be insured.  Now you may not get any job you want and there maybe a darn good reason for that.  I have two grown children with forms of ADD they can't be in the military nor should they be because they can't do the job due to their disability.  Both their father and I are veterans and they want to serve but cannot.  They serve their country other ways with volunteerism etc. 

Really this forum should be titled Right wing nurses for the same old thing.  Big brother bothers you now? It didn't bother you when the Patriot act was passed, it didn't bother you when your voting rights disappear, it doesn't bother you when science is denied etc.  The last 8 years were progressively terrifying as to the erosion of our civil liberties.  We may finally be coming out of the black hole and you all cannot or will not see it.

I rant because I care about America.

 

I dont understand part of your post............our rights to vote disappeared?  Dang, I had no idea.   I might be in trouble because Ive voted in every election since 1980, yup, I voted for Reagan.  To be honest, I had no idea about Politics.  I just knew Jimmy Carter creeped me out..........his teeth scared me.  I just thought Reagan was good looking.