Comments on: ED waiting room patients offered $10 to leave

By: soar_loosers

soar_loosers — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 03:08:01 +0000

Oh for Pete’s sakes, now they’re gonna come in hoards wanting the $10 bucks.

By: TriJack

TriJack — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:05:39 +0000

The ones that will take your 10 are usually the ones that can be seen and dispo’ed in only a minute or so longer than it takes to give them the $ – so, I use my triage rooms to see these people rapidly and save my money…
ps – just discovered this site – i was the on duty doc in the ed when the “nurse rap” video linked on your site was done… Thanks for the link. Craig, who did the video, performs a rap of sorts each year at our resident graduation dinner – quite an entertaining guy…

By: trenchy

trenchy — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:41:57 +0000

Handing out work excuses is much less expensive and doesn’t make nearly as many waves in the media.

By: Bad Shift

Bad Shift — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:42:54 +0000

I don’t understand the complaint–was the offer too low?

By: ERnursey

ERnursey — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:14:08 +0000

I’ve always said that if the greeter just had a pile of vicodin prescriptions to hand out we’d only see about 15 patients a day!

By: TheNewGuy

TheNewGuy — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:20:00 +0000

I’ve gone out into the waiting room myself and advised patients that they’re looking at a long wait/night, and that if they’ve a minor problem that can wait, that they might be better-served by seeing their family doctor. I always advise that we’re happy to see them, and that they WILL get seen eventually… but that the line is already around the building.

I’ve never offered money though… that’s actually pretty funny.

Apparently the complainant doesn’t have a regular physician, but DOES have some kind of ongoing health problem… so she should bloody well GET a family doc. One would think it would fit into ones schedule better than spending eight hours in the ER waiting room for a non-emergent problem. That presumes, I suppose, that one is involved in things (job, kids, etc) that require some scheduling around… maybe she’s retired.

Anyone care to make a gentleman’s wager on what medicine was being refilled?

By: Family doc

Family doc — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 04:40:36 +0000

I work shifts in a busy Canadian ER and they come in all the time for scripts and get belligerent when they have to wait.
We have plenty of GP s in our town- this is what happens when you have no user fees!

By: A Bohemian Road Nurse...

A Bohemian Road Nurse... — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:25:45 +0000

As an ex-ER waiting room clown (they’re like rodeo clowns, but for ER waiting rooms), I applaud the guy for his sense of humor. I used to periodically venture forth into the tense, crowded waiting room and offer “No. 1 Patient” stickers, balloons, and jokes to break the ice and get people to relax a little while they endured their wait. One time I took out a bunch of ice paks for injuries and somebody asked me where they should put it—and I replied: “The hurtin’est spot”…

By: CHenry

CHenry — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:49:06 +0000

When you think about it, what harm did it do? No one was told their problem didn’t merit attention, or that they wouldn’t be seen if they waited or even that they couldn’t come back later if they wanted. If they didn’t want to leave, or take the money, they didn’t have to do anything at all. The public wasn’tpaying, either. No one was getting rich by that offer; the offer was cab fare, if that, a token payment.

It isn’t manipulative, or dishonest, or for that matter unethical. In fact it is inspired. Maybe brilliant. Certainly interesting, in the human behavior, relative valuation and free choice way of experimentation.

Of course that won’t keep the jowel shakers and underpants bunchers from getting all worked up.

By: canadian med student

canadian med student — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:09:45 +0000

While I agree that the ER isn’t a good place to go to refill prescriptions, there is a serious shortage of family docs all over Canada. So it’s not quite as simple a situation as it seems, imho.