What's up with the overuse of "Urgent Care" and the "ER" nowadays?!

VaBusa

VaBusa

oRg Gal
Staff member
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It's the main topic today at work...we seem to have quite a few acquaintances lately that seem to rush their kids or themselves straigth to the ER or urgent care facilities for the dumbest of things...this topic came up on the heels of us all finding out, AGAIN, that our health care has gone up and we keep wondering why. I would venture to say the increase in trips to the ER for stupid reasons might be one...

I've been to the ER all of 3x in my entire life, and I'm 41. Why do so many now use it in lieu of a regular doc's visit?! The gals here at work were rattling off the list of people we all know that do it, they have insurance, they're "smart", so why are they not doing what I assumed most do and either suffering through the sniffles or calling the doc and setting appts for the usual ailments? Why do so many want to wait 4 hours for a strange doc to see 'em at an urgent care facility?

Is this the in-thing to do now? What am I missing? :banghead:
 
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Our Insurance discourages this by having higher co-pays for ER than for regular doctor. I think its another extension of our microwave, instant gratification society. The thought that it has to be taken care of NOW, can't wait until tomorrow. I've been to the ER more than 3x, but I've also broken 5 bones and have more than a couple of stitches in my life too.
 
Broken bones are a GREAT reason to go to an ER Dennis. So are bleeding, extremely high fevers, etc...

I know far too many going for "flu symptoms" and "runny noses"...shoot, I've had the flu and I just rode it out at home over exposing everyone to it. There's not much any doc can do for those illnesses, so why go and drive up the costs for everyone else by tying up the ER staff? I don't get it...
 
The last time I was at an ER for my neighbor who broke her wrist the waiting room was packed with what I would call not urgent care needs. Why, I don't know.
 
It all boils down to parents "babying" their kids too much.. I don't ever even remember going to the doctor when I was a kid, let alone the E.R. I had a cold, I dealt with it. I had the flu, I dealt with it.. Just the pussification of America. You can't punish your kids for anything anymore, they get WHATEVER they want, and parents follow them around with anti-bacterial sprays and lotions, what do you expect?
 
Commuta_Busa said:
The last time I was at an ER for my neighbor who broke her wrist the waiting room was packed with what I would call not urgent care needs. Why, I don't know.
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A nation of pansies? :rofl: Is that what we're becoming? I'm just wondering here...I don't get it...I was raised to know that we only went to the ER if we were REALLY hurt or possibly dying. Nowadays, it's for everything from headaches to "my finger feels funny" ???
 
GsxrBots said:
It all boils down to parents "babying" their kids too much.. I don't ever even remember going to the doctor when I was a kid, let alone the E.R. I had a cold, I dealt with it. I had the flu, I dealt with it.. Just the pussification of America. You can't punish your kids for anything anymore, they get WHATEVER they want, and parents follow them around with anti-bacterial sprays and lotions, what do you expect?
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I agree with that, but I see a lot of parents and/or adults in there too...

Been having a lot of "disagreements" with my ex over this as well. He takes himself to the ER and Urgent Care often, and seems to take our sons way more than I'd like. Earlier this year, I had the boys and our youngest wasn't feeling well, just had a bug, it was running its course, and he called to say he was going to the ER (he was sick) and wanted to take David. I told him no, that I didn't want David exposed to whatever was in the ER and that he was on the mend. He didn't agree with my assessment, but within two days, our youngest was fine and back to school, while the ex was really sick and missing work. I'm sure they had different illnesses, but why risk exposing yourself to what's at the ER, and why risk exposing others to what you have when you can't really treat viruses anyway? :banghead: I tried to explain that to my ex, but it's like talking to a brick wall...

Most recently, this past weekend, he rushes our oldest to urgent care...Sam has a slight fever. My "Mom assessment" is that he's just received shots 3 days prior and he's likely having some reaction to that...doesn't matter, ex wants to take him to get checked over. Doc at urgent care says - likely a reaction to the shots Sam had a few days prior... :banghead:
 
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I don't understand why someone with insurance would go to the ER if it's not an emergency....that makes absolutely no sense to me.

The only time I took my kid to the urgent care center was when he broke his pinky finger and our doctor was booked up and couldn't get him in that day.

I've noticed that a lot about our doctor lately....it's really hard to get an appointment and some times it can take days, so maybe that's whats going on with some that rush off the the ER or UC?
 
Va I think it comes with heightened awareness and more awareness of infectious diseases.
Avian flu and all the others people panic over. Runny nose , fever, chills omg people panic and run to the er.
Maybe?

Also comes from a matter of convenience. I've got four hospitals and umpteen urgent care centers within fifteen mins of my house. The ER we visited quite frequently when Adam was under two cuz he would get super high fever and ear aches that would make him scream. He spent more than one night in the pediatric center.
I also think it is due to a lack of knowledge and old school remedies.
My mother had a cure for everything and they worked!
Sore throat? Little aspirin crunched up in a tablespoon of maple syrup would coat your throat and make it feel better. Now my wife wants to run for a script of cough syrup.
People all the way around do not rely upon themselves as much anymore.
 
I've heard the same about getting in to the doc Dawn, but I guess I haven't experienced that myself. I call, I get an appt the same day...haven't had issues, but I don't always see the doc. I actually prefer the nurse practioners over the docs.

:thumbsup:
 
Blanca Busa said:
Va I think it comes with heightened awareness and more awareness of infectious diseases.
Avian flu and all the others people panic over. Runny nose , fever, chills omg people panic and run to the er.
Maybe?

Also comes from a matter of convenience. I've got four hospitals and umpteen urgent care centers within fifteen mins of my house. The ER we visited quite frequently when Adam was under two cuz he would get super high fever and ear aches that would make him scream. He spent more than one night in the pediatric center.
I also think it is due to a lack of knowledge and old school remedies.
My mother had a cure for everything and they worked!
Sore throat? Little aspirin crunched up in a tablespoon of maple syrup would coat your throat and make it feel better. Now my wife wants to run for a script of cough syrup.
People all the way around do not rely upon themselves as much anymore.
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Yeah, well, high fevers in young kids is a given. I'd go to the ER for that in a heartbeat.

But viruses? Flu? Gotta let that stuff run it's course. We are becoming a nation of people that run off to the ER for stuffy noses and wonder how the flu spreads so quickly...stay at home, get someone to tend to your basic needs, cuddle up with cough syrup and drops and the remote and call it a day... :)
 
VaBusa said:
I've heard the same about getting in to the doc Dawn, but I guess I haven't experienced that myself. I call, I get an appt the same day...haven't had issues, but I don't always see the doc. I actually prefer the nurse practioners over the docs.

:thumbsup:
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It use to be that way with our doc but I'm finding it more difficult to get an appointment the same day....usually takes 2 days now. I may have to find another doctor.:banghead:

OH, and don't even have a dermatological issue....that can take weeks.
 
I got real bad flu once, it was a holiday and I went to the ER for treatment. Got a bill a couple of weeks later for around $450, insurance would not pay. Lesson learnt.
 
See that's just it though. You and I grew up with the common flu.
No problems , do as you say and stay home. But now there are numerous flus we can get that can become deadly quick. This is why people panic. Can't be sure whether or not it's a sniffle or bird flu.
 
I also think that we overmedicate ourselves now thereby reducing out bodies ability to fight infections naturally. Then we run to the hospital for meds to make it go away which only prolongs the cycle and continues the reduction of the bodies natural immune system.
 
jellyrug said:
I got real bad flu once, it was a holiday and I went to the ER for treatment. Got a bill a couple of weeks later for around $450, insurance would not pay. Lesson learnt.
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Thing is, there's really not much that they can do for the flu anyway...I know they can give you something to ease symptoms. It's viral, so it just has to run it's course. I wouldn't risk going anywhere if you have it. You risk spreading it and you risk exposing yourself to even worse strains while your immune system is already compromised. :)
 
Blanca Busa said:
See that's just it though. You and I grew up with the common flu.
No problems , do as you say and stay home. But now there are numerous flus we can get that can become deadly quick. This is why people panic. Can't be sure whether or not it's a sniffle or bird flu.
Click to expand...

Well, common sense tells you if it gets out of hand beyond the common flu...THEN, you go to the doc... :)
 
Speaking of all of the scares with the various flu news in recent years...where did they go? Recall all the news? All the warnings, the daily updates on where they were spreading, how dangerous they were getting, people dying, etc...

That news just petered out and was never heard again...hype...that's what that was...mostly hype... :whistle:
 
What bothers me is the people that complain that the E.R. took too long to see them when something happens, and these are the same people that go there for a cold or a papercut. They wonder why it takes so long..
 
VaBusa said:
Well, common sense tells you if it gets out of hand beyond the common flu...THEN, you go to the doc... :)
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Agreed but when it's one of your littlins and it's bad you go.
A mothers instinct overrules common sense and then I stop arguing and say
'yes mam let me get my car key's' :)
 
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