I see this all the time. (I'm an ER nurse by night, computer nerd by day).
The problem is that patients frequently demand antibiotics for infections that don't require them and patients demand XRays for injuries that are obviously not fractures.
If someone is going to take little Jonny to the ER at 3 in the morning because the child has a fever and a cough, the last thing that the parents want to hear is "give him Tylenol, push fluids, plenty of rest..." Plain and simple, if they're going through the trouble to see the doctor, they want a prescription. So, instead of spending 20 minutes explaining to the parents why little Jonny doesn't need a prescription, they spend 5 minutes with them, prescribe an antibiotic that they _might_ but probably don't need, and run off to see the next patient.
Err, excuse me. I've taken my daughter to A&E (the UK equivalent of ER) a couple of time in her life due to high fever and a very nasty hacking cough. On both occassions, they prescribed ibuprofen, liquids and on one occassion put her in a cooling bath to reduce temperature.
On both occassions I was satisfied: I was pretty sure that it was a viral infection, but with a temperature that high, I wanted to be sure. I would be bloody annoyed if the docs prescribed unnecessary antibiotics. Not all patients are dense and doctors shouldn't treat us as if we are - that just spreads ignorance.
Actually, we are lucky over here now. NHS is a really very good phone consulting service. You phone up with a sick child and they take you through a very VERY detailed list of symptoms and questions. This phone service has saved me a couple of night trips to the hospital since it started.
I'm sorry if I came across as condescending. That was not my intention at all. I went to an Urgent Care 2 years ago, I waited for 2 hours, only to be told that I should take Tylenol, get rest and drink fluids. I was very upset.
I don't think those expectations are the fault of the patient. It's a natural extension of our drive-thru, fast-food.
At very least, I've found those expectations to be common in most of the 20+ hospitals/ER's that I've worked in over the past 15 years.
I field at least 3-4 calls a night asking for advice. I am not allowed to give any advice over the phone because of liability reasons. People's only option in the middle of the night is to go to the ER and wait their turn which creates frustration and high expectations. It's a bad system, not bad patients.
I waited for 2 hours, only to be told that I should take Tylenol, get rest and drink fluids. I was very upset
Why? There was nothing wrong. Would you have been happier if they diagnosed cancer? I find the (mostly American) obsession with pills very very strange. I hate seeing this getting imported to Canada, but more and more this seems to be the case.
Yes, iamelgringo's reaction does seem irrational but I can relate.
I've been dealing w/ a knee injury for a year+ and recently decided to bite the bullet (it's expensive!) and have it checked out. (Being an bootstrapping entrepreneur tends to have the side effect of having less-than-comprehensive health insurance) When the results of the MRI and X-Ray came in I found myself rather disappointed that there were no tears or fractures. I guess I just wanted a definite answer to why my knee was messed up so I could put a rehab plan into place and get back into running and mixed martial arts. Hearing "Don't know what's wrong. Rest it" was rather frustrating.
Well, fully anecdotal here, but every guy I know (at least 10) that got knee surgery to "correct" a problem continued to have the same problems.
It seems to me that most of them regarded this as simply a stop gap or "treatment" and not a cure. Those that thought they would not have any more issues with their knees were not happy. Many who got it earlier on suggested that they would have chosen to go as long as possible without the post surgery rehab if they could.
I've been fortunate enough not to have any knee or foot issues myself, so I'm certainly not claiming to be an authority here.
I don't think it has anything to do with obsession with medicine, more to do with wanting to feel that the couple of hours you wasted in the ER were for something.
The problem is that patients frequently demand antibiotics for infections that don't require them and patients demand XRays for injuries that are obviously not fractures.
If someone is going to take little Jonny to the ER at 3 in the morning because the child has a fever and a cough, the last thing that the parents want to hear is "give him Tylenol, push fluids, plenty of rest..." Plain and simple, if they're going through the trouble to see the doctor, they want a prescription. So, instead of spending 20 minutes explaining to the parents why little Jonny doesn't need a prescription, they spend 5 minutes with them, prescribe an antibiotic that they _might_ but probably don't need, and run off to see the next patient.