File 13

Reading doctor's notes and billing for his or her services for a living provides me with a unique perspective on a wide array of hot health care topics. I have a pretty accurate view of patient type, payer type, hospital outcomes, unpaid balances, and my favorite.....waste. 

And that is what galls me to no end. The wasted health care resources that could be better utilized elsewhere. 

I am not referring to hospital waste, unnecessary tests, inappropriate drug administration and things of that nature. Sure, these things exist, but with the JC all over facilities to bend over backwards to meet the standards patient care, waste will happen. "Better safe than sorry" is how most facilities and providers approach patient care nowadays.

I am referring to patient waste. 

Case in point:

Patient presents to the ED at 2 am. H&P illustrates that earlier that day, while getting in the car, patient is pretty sure a stink bug was sat upon. Patient didn't think much about it, but later started getting itchy 'down there' and was worried about having been bitten and/or stung. 

I would love to hear anyone's explanation on how this qualifies as an ED visit. A non-venomous stink bug.

Oy.

Case in point 2:

Patient presents to primary care because earlier in the day, patient stepped on a bee, removed the stinger, iced it up, but needed to be seen urgently (!) because the area on the foot was still red and sore at 4 pm.

People. Just ..... no.

So when I hear public complaints about how ridiculous ED wait times are or how difficult it is to get an appointment in primary care I have to either laugh or open a vein.  

This country has just gotten to a crazy point where no one can deal with or tolerate any amount of discomfort so off to the ED they go or to the phone to harass the front desk staff in primary care to demand a same day appointment. 

Wasted health care resources. 

There really are enough doctors to go around. There are just too many wasteful patients clogging up the resources.