[cncrnd]

The larger point of this article is about the need to advocate for your own medical care. It really hit me hard, due to my own and family experiences with hospitals and doctors who simply didn't care or recognize the effect of their everyday behaviors on the lives of others.

The example given in the article is Valley Med requiring 5-10 days to serve patient medical records. These 5-10 days can be the the difference between LIFE and DEATH when it comes to medical care. There exists an inefficiency, which can lead to wrongful death, and there is a clear path to remove the inefficiency. Why is nothing done and why does society accept it, despite paying ridiculous amounts for healthcare?

The fact is that doctors are perfectly adept at handling 95% of cases which they see often, but outside of that they seem to lack the drive to 'connect the dots.'

When I go to the doctor, I do my research before I step foot into the office and I tell them what I am thinking. Sometimes I am wrong and cede to the doctor's explanation, other times it results in different tests taken/treatment paths.

[sjg007]

There's one problem with this.. for emergent care, the records can be faxed over immediately. At least PAMF does that. They can also get the doctor on the phone. Always remember your doctor's name. It's on the discharge sheet.

[cncrnd]

Requests for medical records should not take 5-10 business days period. When someone requests medical records it is for some purpose related to health. A hospital taking 5-10 business days to make medical records available can only hurt patients.

[sjg007]

I agree. Nothing I said disagrees with that. His care was emergent. and I also agree that medical records should be ready the same day.