Finding Where the Appropriate Care Is Offered at a Reasonable Price
It may be difficult for even a knowledgeable consumer to receive adequate care. One summer, I was on vacation with my 11-year-old daughter. She complained of a sore throat for 2 days, and, when she did not improve on the third day, I decided to take her to a pediatrician and have a throat culture taken. She was running a low-grade fever, and I suspected a strep infection. I phoned the emergency room of a local teaching hospital for the name of a pediatrician, but I was instructed to “bring her in.” I questioned the practicality of using an emergency room, but the friendly voice on the other end of the line assured me: “If you have health insurance and the child has a sore throat, this is the best place to come.” After a rather long wait, we were seen by an intern who was beginning his first day in pediatrics. To my dismay and chagrin, the young man appeared to have no idea of how to proceed. The resident entered and patiently demonstrated to the fledgling intern—using my daughter—how to go about doing a physical examination on a child. Since I had brought the child to the emergency room merely for a throat culture, I felt that what they were doing was unnecessary and said so. After much delay, the throat culture was taken; we were told we could leave and should call back in 48 hours for the report. As we left the cubicle, we had to pass another cubicle with an open curtain—where a woman was vomiting all over herself, the bed, and the equipment while another intern was attempting to insert a gastric tube. Needless to say, my daughter was distressed by the sight, which she could not help but witness. The reward for this trial was an inflated bill.
Two days later, I called back for the report. It could not be located. When it was finally “found,” the result was negative. I took issue with this because it took 30 minutes for them to find the report. Perhaps this sounds a bit over- stated; however, I had the feeling that they told me it was negative just to get me off the phone.
I related this personal experience to bring out two major points. First, it is not easy to obtain what I, as a health care provider, consider to be a rather minor procedure. Second—and perhaps more important—it was expensive!
The average health care consumer in such a circumstance may very well have no idea of what is really going on. When health care is sought, one should have access to professionally performed examinations and treatment. When one is seeking the results of a laboratory test, the results should be avail- able immediately at the agreed-on time and place instead of being lost in a jungle of bureaucracy.