State of the healthcare system in America: Let's discuss why it's failing

Patrick Reyes15 said:I am genuinely glad to see some positive hospital stories in here. These kinds of experiences should be the norm, but unfortunately, they seem to be rare exceptions. You clearly caught a break, and I'm happy for you because I wouldn't wish the treatment I've witnessed in hospitals over the last few months on anyone.

I actually have a lovely story of my own that happened following my first post, but first, naturally, I have to recount a complete catastrophe.
My mom was admitted to the ward, and in the middle of the night, she was dying from the pain, yet there was nothing listed on her chart that could actually help her. Of course, the nurses aren't allowed to administer anything outside of the prescribed list, so Mom kept begging them to call the doctor. But here's the thing... the doctor wasn't around, and they wouldn't call him. So you're just left sitting there. Luckily, Mom managed to get a hold of us over the phone to explain the situation, pleading for us to do something, because by that point, she couldn't even catch her breath from the agony. After that call, we phoned the unit to check on her, and the nurse actually gave us false information, telling us Mom was doing great and everything was fine. Well, we lost it. We rushed to the hospital and ended up in a massive confrontation with one of the lead doctors, who was incredibly dismissive toward both us and my mother, throwing out disgusting comments like, "If she doesn't like it, she can just go home," or when we asked for an injection, he snapped, "What, do you want a musical performance too?" Honestly, we didn't hold back either; we were giving it right back to him, and things got heated in the hallway. It was a terrifying, miserable scene.
Naturally, the next step would have been a lawsuit and all the legal fallout that comes with it. However, her surgeon stepped in and sorted the whole mess out; that other doctor actually came forward to apologize to both her and us, and from that moment on, everything improved. Her surgeon is truly a special, kind man who fights for his patients and refuses to tolerate injustice or the arrogance of other doctors. It just goes to show there are decent, caring people out there—they're just hard to find.
Because of the wonderful way he treated her, Mom practically came back to life; she found this new surge of energy, and now she's back home, happy and content. We've left all those terrible experiences behind us and are focusing on this new lease on life.
It just goes to show—that genuine human connection and actually giving a damn about the patient can lead to a much faster recovery and, honestly, just a way happier person overall. All it really takes is a little bit of basic human decency.

I sign off on that part completely. However, I've noticed that if you're actually polite to the doctors, they're immediately polite back to you. Yeah, sure, they're all different. Based on everything I've dealt with so far, I've mostly had nothing but praise, though I guess it depends on the administration and how much effort they put in. I've also gone to private clinics, and it's the exact same thing. It all comes down to them and us.🙂

Kate Collins67 said:You’re talking about an on-call doctor—you know, the one covering one or more departments outside of regular business hours. Your father isn't usually seeing the on-call physician; he's seeing his primary attending. That means the on-call doc isn't even briefed on your father's specific condition, unless—God forbid—he's dealing with colon cancer. You get your updates from the doctor actually managing his care at the hospital, not some guy passing through the ward. If an emergency happens with your father while the on-call doctor is there, *then* you'll hear from that doctor about what went down.
I don't understand how this is confusing to you.
The more detached a doctor is from the patient, the clearer their head is—which, medically speaking, leads to better outcomes for the patient. I won't even get into the socio-psychological side of things here.

Regarding that bolded part—I really can't agree with you there. I think everyone needs a certain amount of empathy and emotion, but you just have to know how to switch it off when necessary. You shouldn't be a complete robot.

Interesting topic. I’ve been scrolling through some of the earlier posts here, and I see a lot of "parables" about hospital horror stories and terrible medical care. There’s a huge focus on the doctor-patient relationship being broken—basically blaming incompetent or rude doctors for how bad things are in US Healthcare. But honestly? The state of the system isn't just about a few grumpy or unskilled docs. It’s a direct reflection of how much—or how little—the general public actually knows about their own health. Let me give you a couple of real-world examples so I'm not just talking nonsense:
01. Take basal cell carcinoma. If you catch it early, it doesn't metastasize; it just eats away at local tissue. It develops slowly—you could practically see it from an airplane. If a person shows up to the doctor in time (and there’s plenty of time), a simple procedure fixes everything. I have personally seen people walk into a clinic ONLY after that thing has already eaten through half their face, the eye socket, and breached the skull. Where were they before? The saddest part is these people didn't fly in all the way from Pakistan; they took a subway ride from Brooklyn. Think about how much money those people waste just because they ignored the warning signs. Surgeries are insanely expensive!! Patients just don't see the massive bill the hospital sends to Medicare when they get discharged, so they stay blissfully unaware.
I could go on with a dozen more examples like this. Look, I’m not trying to defend doctors, but I want to point out that everyone shares the blame for how a system functions: first there's the White House, then the medical staff, then the patients...
Once you have something, you eventually start taking it for granted. That's the problem. People here tend to be incredibly irresponsible with their own health because they feel like everything is "free." Once we actually learn how to act preventatively and start seeing a doctor *before* we start falling apart, things will get better. Of course, there are conscientious patients and dedicated doctors out there too, so I won't generalize quite that much 🙂

In principle, we should actually be happy with how things are set up here. For anyone who disagrees, I strongly suggest you watch the movie Sicko from 2007! God forbid you get diagnosed with Lymphoma in America while being overweight—they might just deny you coverage. At that point, you're a dead man walking. Treating Lymphoma costs six figures (cytostatics and immunotherapy aren't cheap), but here, you can get treated with the exact same high-quality, standardized methods used in Washington, D.C., except it's completely free for you!!!

Hey there,
I might be slightly off-topic here, but I wanted to share what happened to me and see if anyone knows how this works... I ended up in the ER over in Oakland after taking a nasty spill off my bike. When I asked if they had any ice I could put on the swelling, they actually laughed at me and asked if I watched too many American TV shows. After that, I just stopped asking questions...
It was a whole cycle: X-ray, repositioning, immobilization, more imaging, then a consultation with the orthopedic surgeon, then they tried to send me home, then scheduled me for surgery in three days, and... well, they eventually decided to just operate right then because my collarbone was at risk of puncturing through the skin... so they took me into surgery that same night.
The surgeon installed a plate and nine screws, and I woke up in the trauma ward. They looked after me all night and through the first day—swapping out IV bags, giving me whatever meds were needed, checking if I needed pain relief. I was supposed to stay for 5 to 7 days. But on the second day, during rounds, the head of the clinic just brushed past my diagnosis, mentioned something about a clavicle... and said they should discharge me (pay attention to that "they")... and just like that, they let me go the second day after the rounds.
The staff was fine; they did their jobs. I’m not expecting people to bow down to me, but I have to complain that from the moment I was admitted, I ceased being a person and became just a diagnosis. I was treated as a medical case rather than a patient; everyone talked *about* my diagnosis instead of talking *to* me. Nobody except the anesthesiologist actually spoke to me, introduced themselves, or even asked my name. No one bothered to ask what happened, what they were going to do, or how long I'd be staying. Aside from some brief talk at admission and a technician asking my name and what happened when I was on the ward, that was it. Even during the discharge exam, the surgeon just rattled off healing statistics for my specific case and told me what I needed to do—rest and some light arm exercises (which ones? who knows?)—before scheduling a follow-up, making sure to emphasize that he did a great job.
I don't have supplemental insurance, so I paid 20% of the cost myself— $4.25 and even though my stay was short and I didn't interact with many people, I walked away feeling like I ought to be grateful to the doctors, nurses, and techs, and maybe bring a little token of appreciation or a tip. Since I'm new to this, does anyone know what the standard "gratuity" is for a clavicle repair—plate and screws? Because according to some of the support staff, everyone is pretty much looking for one...

Dennis Brooks19 said:Hey there,
I might be slightly off-topic here, but I wanted to share what happened to me and see if anyone knows how this works... I ended up in the ER over in Oakland after taking a nasty spill off my bike. When I asked if they had any ice I could put on the swelling, they actually laughed at me and asked if I watched too many American TV shows. After that, I just stopped asking questions...
It was a whole cycle: X-ray, repositioning, immobilization, more imaging, then a consultation with the orthopedic surgeon, then they tried to send me home, then scheduled me for surgery in three days, and... well, they eventually decided to just operate right then because my collarbone was at risk of puncturing through the skin... so they took me into surgery that same night.
The surgeon installed a plate and nine screws, and I woke up in the trauma ward. They looked after me all night and through the first day—swapping out IV bags, giving me whatever meds were needed, checking if I needed pain relief. I was supposed to stay for 5 to 7 days. But on the second day, during rounds, the head of the clinic just brushed past my diagnosis, mentioned something about a clavicle... and said they should discharge me (pay attention to that "they")... and just like that, they let me go the second day after the rounds.
The staff was fine; they did their jobs. I’m not expecting people to bow down to me, but I have to complain that from the moment I was admitted, I ceased being a person and became just a diagnosis. I was treated as a medical case rather than a patient; everyone talked *about* my diagnosis instead of talking *to* me. Nobody except the anesthesiologist actually spoke to me, introduced themselves, or even asked my name. No one bothered to ask what happened, what they were going to do, or how long I'd be staying. Aside from some brief talk at admission and a technician asking my name and what happened when I was on the ward, that was it. Even during the discharge exam, the surgeon just rattled off healing statistics for my specific case and told me what I needed to do—rest and some light arm exercises (which ones? who knows?)—before scheduling a follow-up, making sure to emphasize that he did a great job.
I don't have supplemental insurance, so I paid 20% of the cost myself— $4.25 and even though my stay was short and I didn't interact with many people, I walked away feeling like I ought to be grateful to the doctors, nurses, and techs, and maybe bring a little token of appreciation or a tip. Since I'm new to this, does anyone know what the standard "gratuity" is for a clavicle repair—plate and screws? Because according to some of the support staff, everyone is pretty much looking for one...

Sorry, I'm not sure I follow. What kind of "rates"?? You want to "reward" the staff extra? You literally just said they treated you like a "diagnosis" instead of a human being, and now you're asking about rates to tip them? :/ Surgeons are slammed, especially with trauma cases where you never know when the next one is hitting. These people don't have the luxury of sitting down to explain every single detail to every patient. They did their jobs—and sounds like they did them well—so you don't owe them anything. Don't make a fool out of yourself!! Just go to your follow-ups like they told you. If you're feeling genuinely thankful to someone, buy a box of chocolates or something, but DO NOT give cash!! I mean, if you have money to burn, go for it, but let's not have people complaining about doctors taking "gifts" just because patients feel the need to bribe them. I'm telling you this not as an angry patient, but as someone who's going to be a doctor soon.

wiredcanyon2 said:Sorry, I'm not sure I follow. What kind of "rates"?? You want to "reward" the staff extra? You literally just said they treated you like a "diagnosis" instead of a human being, and now you're asking about rates to tip them? :/ Surgeons are slammed, especially with trauma cases where you never know when the next one is hitting. These people don't have the luxury of sitting down to explain every single detail to every patient. They did their jobs—and sounds like they did them well—so you don't owe them anything. Don't make a fool out of yourself!! Just go to your follow-ups like they told you. If you're feeling genuinely thankful to someone, buy a box of chocolates or something, but DO NOT give cash!! I mean, if you have money to burn, go for it, but let's not have people complaining about doctors taking "gifts" just because patients feel the need to bribe them. I'm telling you this not as an angry patient, but as someone who's going to be a doctor soon.

Thanks for the quick reply, wiredcanyon2. That's pretty much how I see it too, but I can't shake this feeling that they're actually expecting something from the patient. The whole vibe, the way everyone carries themselves, it feels so patronizing—like they're doing you some massive favor and everything depends on their good graces... maybe I'm wrong, though, I've been taking quite a bit of pain meds lately... anyway, good luck with the career, cheers.

I’d like to quote this comment:

When it comes to experimental subjects, my daughter learned the hard way just how much it can hurt. She was born with a foot deformity, and right after leaving the hospital in Miami, we rushed her to see Dr. Luetić. He didn't even bother with a proper diagnosis; instead, he spent eight months just putting her leg in casts. Once he realized he was out of his depth, he sent us to Washington, D.C. We ended up seeing a supposed "top specialist," Dr. Đapić. To be fair, he did actually identify the issue, but the surgery he performed was an absolute disaster. After endless follow-ups and constant traveling between Miami and Washington, D.C., he told us she’d have to wait until she was five or six before any further corrective surgery could even be considered. Naturally, we weren't going to sit around and wait for that. We sought out a clinic in Germany for a consultation, and when their doctors saw what the specialists back home had done, they were genuinely horrified. They scheduled an emergency surgery immediately. In the meantime, we tried to get Medicare to cover the costs, only to be met with a flat rejection and a note claiming this procedure could easily be handled domestically. I have to ask: where exactly in this country is anyone capable of doing this correctly? Who is actually qualified? Thank God we managed to scrape the money together to head to Germany, where the surgery was finally a success. Now, we’re looking at one more minor procedure. For context, these types of surgeries usually run about $11,000.
Let’s talk about our healthcare system and the supposed "experts" running the show.
I’ll make an exception for the outliers, though they're few and far between.

US healthcare? What a total disaster. 🙂🙂🙂🙂

I really wonder if this whole thing is actually going to work. Down in Miami-Dade County, they’re still turning away patients who don't have their referrals ready—they haven't even started implementing the new system yet. Just imagine being a patient living out on one of the islands. You’re up at 4:00 AM, hopping on a bus, then catching a ferry, then another bus... by 8:00 AM, you finally roll into the Mayo Clinic, only for them to turn you away stone-cold because you're missing a piece of paper. And get this—they didn't even give any heads-up about the change; I only found out when I called personally and was told it was just some director's call. Most of those private clinics don't even have the infrastructure set up to handle electronic referrals anyway.
One thing is for sure: a plan that's well-conceived on paper will fall apart once it hits the wall of bureaucracy and general digital illiteracy. We're talking about a reality where over 50% of doctors aren't even using computers regularly. A colleague of mine actually told me she doesn't even feel like she needs a computer for her day-to-day work.
Picture a foreigner walking into an exam room, only to have the doctor scribble something illegible on a piece of paper for their medical history. We are lightyears away from the standards you see in Europe.🙄

Interesting topic, though I didn't really see any political links here? Maybe I just missed something somewhere else

Regarding the bureaucracy and the general lack of digital literacy, you’re 100% spot on 🙂. It just creates this massive, chaotic mess in those endless waiting rooms while the nurse and the doctor take their sweet time—moving at a snail's pace—inputting every little detail, verifying everything, and printing it all out. Not to mention the fact that some physician in her late 50s, who has spent her entire career handwriting notes, is suddenly expected to type all of this up at a decent speed. And, thank God, we have those occasional power outages—since we’re quite a distance from the efficiency of Germany 😁—or the system just freezes, or perhaps she simply doesn't understand why the computer won't accept an entry, or what a basic copy/paste function even entails.

I always feel for people traveling from rural areas or small towns who make the trek through the heat and the traffic just to get to ST, only to be brushed off with some rushed, half-hearted explanation. And if you actually try to hold them accountable, they just shuffle you around, transfer your call, or—in the absolute worst cases—hang up on you entirely because "they don't know the answer—just call back in the morning."

Jerry Wood5 said:I really wonder if this whole thing is actually going to work. Down in Miami-Dade County, they’re still turning away patients who don't have their referrals ready—they haven't even started implementing the new system yet. Just imagine being a patient living out on one of the islands. You’re up at 4:00 AM, hopping on a bus, then catching a ferry, then another bus... by 8:00 AM, you finally roll into the Mayo Clinic, only for them to turn you away stone-cold because you're missing a piece of paper. And get this—they didn't even give any heads-up about the change; I only found out when I called personally and was told it was just some director's call. Most of those private clinics don't even have the infrastructure set up to handle electronic referrals anyway.
One thing is for sure: a plan that's well-conceived on paper will fall apart once it hits the wall of bureaucracy and general digital illiteracy. We're talking about a reality where over 50% of doctors aren't even using computers regularly. A colleague of mine actually told me she doesn't even feel like she needs a computer for her day-to-day work.
Picture a foreigner walking into an exam room, only to have the doctor scribble something illegible on a piece of paper for their medical history. We are lightyears away from the standards you see in Europe.🙄

Nah, it didn't really take off. And honestly? It’s totally normal for them to send a patient home if they don't have a referral—unless it's a straight-up emergency. As for that whole "island adventurer" scenario you described... I just can't see it happening. That's not even about being smart. Nobody in America just shows up at a clinic like that—it's just not how things work here. You’re probably going to call the hospital first to schedule something, right? And when you do, they’re always going to remind you to bring your insurance paperwork.

My doctor down in Miami is constantly glued to his computer, yet somehow I still walk away with a physical paper referral every single time. It’s wild—not every hospital system has fully transitioned to digital records because, honestly, they just don't have the budget for it. Why is that?

An outsider will be able to follow the whole medical history—any doctor will get it. I mean, the diagnosis is written in Latin, the test results are all in Latin, and the meds? They’re basically the same everywhere. Or am I just tripping?

Hey.

From what I’ve gathered, they’ve only really rolled out the e-prescriptions so far; the digital referral system hasn't actually kicked in yet. For those referrals to work, every single hospital needs to be fully geared up—I'm talking everything from updated computer workstations to properly trained staff. Honestly, I think we're still going to be waiting on that part for a while.

boldfox172 said:Nah, it didn't really take off. And honestly? It’s totally normal for them to send a patient home if they don't have a referral—unless it's a straight-up emergency. As for that whole "island adventurer" scenario you described... I just can't see it happening. That's not even about being smart. Nobody in America just shows up at a clinic like that—it's just not how things work here. You’re probably going to call the hospital first to schedule something, right? And when you do, they’re always going to remind you to bring your insurance paperwork.

My doctor down in Miami is constantly glued to his computer, yet somehow I still walk away with a physical paper referral every single time. It’s wild—not every hospital system has fully transitioned to digital records because, honestly, they just don't have the budget for it. Why is that?

An outsider will be able to follow the whole medical history—any doctor will get it. I mean, the diagnosis is written in Latin, the test results are all in Latin, and the meds? They’re basically the same everywhere. Or am I just tripping?

Hey.

For sure. You'll basically get a specialist on the line immediately who'll set you up for a visit. In most places, you can barely even get through to the switchboard, let alone reach the front desk to actually book anything
.

boldfox172 said:Nah, it didn't really take off. And honestly? It’s totally normal for them to send a patient home if they don't have a referral—unless it's a straight-up emergency. As for that whole "island adventurer" scenario you described... I just can't see it happening. That's not even about being smart. Nobody in America just shows up at a clinic like that—it's just not how things work here. You’re probably going to call the hospital first to schedule something, right? And when you do, they’re always going to remind you to bring your insurance paperwork.

My doctor down in Miami is constantly glued to his computer, yet somehow I still walk away with a physical paper referral every single time. It’s wild—not every hospital system has fully transitioned to digital records because, honestly, they just don't have the budget for it. Why is that?

An outsider will be able to follow the whole medical history—any doctor will get it. I mean, the diagnosis is written in Latin, the test results are all in Latin, and the meds? They’re basically the same everywhere. Or am I just tripping?

Hey.

If there wasn't any money, they wouldn't have even started the whole project in the first place. I mean, just look at the staff uniforms. Everyone's got computers—some have basic monitors, while others have those massive, high-end screens. Hospitals pay IT professionals too, so I really don't see why this should be such a huge hurdle
.

boldfox172 said:Nah, it didn't really take off. And honestly? It’s totally normal for them to send a patient home if they don't have a referral—unless it's a straight-up emergency. As for that whole "island adventurer" scenario you described... I just can't see it happening. That's not even about being smart. Nobody in America just shows up at a clinic like that—it's just not how things work here. You’re probably going to call the hospital first to schedule something, right? And when you do, they’re always going to remind you to bring your insurance paperwork.

My doctor down in Miami is constantly glued to his computer, yet somehow I still walk away with a physical paper referral every single time. It’s wild—not every hospital system has fully transitioned to digital records because, honestly, they just don't have the budget for it. Why is that?

An outsider will be able to follow the whole medical history—any doctor will get it. I mean, the diagnosis is written in Latin, the test results are all in Latin, and the meds? They’re basically the same everywhere. Or am I just tripping?

Hey.

Medications aren't called the same thing everywhere. Different manufacturers mean different brand names. I've had to ask foreigners to show me the actual box so I could read the generic name just to figure out what kind of medicine we're dealing with
. Plus, most doctors still write their reports by hand. Honestly, nobody can read that handwriting except for the doctors themselves
.
Cheers

slybison8 said:Bumbar, I suppose I was wondering if you could perhaps clarify why you feel there is a need for political analysis regarding this specific issue.

We’ve already had this whole debate about healthcare being tied up in politics, haven't we?
It’s just typical—absolute director tyranny. They’re completely ignoring the decisions handed down by Minister Milinović, acting like they're above the law. It's honestly infuriating how much power one person can grab when they decide to just stop following orders from the top.
Patients are getting screwed over again—it's honestly ridiculous. People are showing up at the hospital counters only to be turned away flat-out because they don't have their referrals handy. It’s just total, unmitigated chaos out there.
We’re out here desperately trying to join the European Union, yet we’re still stuck with these old-school North American habits and a mindset that just doesn't match the goal.
I mean, I’ve already reached the point where I can send out e-referrals and schedule patients directly through the software—which is great and all—but honestly, what's the point? It feels pretty useless when the hospitals and private clinics aren't even running the same programs.
How on earth are we supposed to enforce European Union regulations when we can't even manage to follow our own laws here at home? It's honestly a joke.
So, I’ve been sitting here thinking—is it just me, or is IT literacy among doctors a bit... lacking? Honestly, it’s becoming a real talking point lately. You’d think that in an era where we basically live our lives through screens, the medical profession would be leading the charge in digital fluency, but sometimes it feels like we're fighting an uphill battle just to get basic software to cooperate. It’s one thing to master complex diagnostic tools or surgical robotics—which, let's be honest, are incredible feats of engineering—but it's a completely different story when it comes to navigating a standard Electronic Health Record system or even just managing a simple database without needing a tech support intervention. It’s almost ironic, isn't it? We have these brilliant minds capable of solving the most intricate biological puzzles, yet a poorly designed user interface can bring the whole workflow to a grinding halt. I mean, don't get me wrong, I’m not saying everyone is stuck in the Stone Age. There are plenty of tech-savvy clinicians out there who make it look easy. But you see it so often—that specific look of frustration when a system lags or a menu isn't intuitive. It's not even about being "good with computers" anymore; it's about how much time we're losing because the digital tools aren't keeping pace with the actual practice of medicine. Is it a training issue? A design flaw in the software itself? Or just a generational gap that's proving harder to bridge than we anticipated? I'd love to hear what you all think. Are you feeling the friction too, or am I just being overly cynical today? Honestly, doctors are completely tech-illiterate. I’ve already cycled through three or four different software programs myself—just by figuring it out on the fly—while my colleagues actually had to sit through formal training sessions just to keep up.
__________________

Jerry Wood5 said:For sure. You'll basically get a specialist on the line immediately who'll set you up for a visit. In most places, you can barely even get through to the switchboard, let alone reach the front desk to actually book anything
.

If there wasn't any money, they wouldn't have even started the whole project in the first place. I mean, just look at the staff uniforms. Everyone's got computers—some have basic monitors, while others have those massive, high-end screens. Hospitals pay IT professionals too, so I really don't see why this should be such a huge hurdle
.

Medications aren't called the same thing everywhere. Different manufacturers mean different brand names. I've had to ask foreigners to show me the actual box so I could read the generic name just to figure out what kind of medicine we're dealing with
. Plus, most doctors still write their reports by hand. Honestly, nobody can read that handwriting except for the doctors themselves
.
Cheers

Man, you're something else. You actually expect a specialist to call *you* back? Like, they don't have anything better to do than sit by the phone waiting for your ring? You call the hospital (Mayo Clinic - 556111 Beverly Hills, 557111 Crossroads) and get the main line—then you tell them what you need. If you were just asking for a transfer, yeah, obviously you didn't get anywhere 🙂. I go to the ENT at Beverly Hills and neurology at Crossroads all the time, and I never have any trouble getting scheduled.

And so what if they have computers? Hardware is everywhere; you can buy it by the ton. The real work is connecting everything and actually buying/paying for the right software... then we can talk. It's not like the hospital IT guy is supposed to code his own custom OS from scratch. How little does little Ivica understand about how digitalization actually works...

Also, what's the big deal with reading a chemical composition? Any pharmacist would know that instantly. As for the handwritten reports, I'm with you there. Everything should be typed.

Hey.

The chaos of the last few weeks pretty much forced my hand to start this thread.

My dad has a heart condition and lives with a pacemaker. He had the device swapped out earlier this year, which went smoothly enough, until about six weeks ago when the edge of the unit actually pierced through his skin, leaving this little 4-5 mm "spike" poking out.

This whole mess coincided perfectly with his routine checkup at the local Mayo Clinic.

And wouldn't you know it, they admitted him on the spot.

During that first week of being stuck there, they put him through an absolute marathon of tests—everything from daily blood and urine work to heart and abdominal scans, gastroscopies (?), X-rays of his heart and lungs, pyelography, brain and lung CT scans, and even a colonoscopy (!).... If you ask me, half of that felt like total overkill.
Everything came back normal, except for his creatinine levels, but we've known about that for a while now.
Now he’s been sitting in a hospital bed for two weeks straight without a single actual procedure being done, just waiting for the doctors to finally "reach a consensus" on how to handle the pacemaker—whether they fix the damage or just swap the whole unit out. They told us nothing would happen before the end of the week, maybe Friday if a surgeon actually shows up.(!)

So, here’s what I’m wondering:

Is it actually necessary to burn through this much money on tests that seem completely illogical?
And is it really essential to keep someone hospitalized for this long just so the staff can finish their "consultations" regarding what to do with him?

We all see it happening constantly—how people are left waiting forever for basic tests, therapy, or surgery, yet on the flip side, money and resources are being wasted on seemingly pointless things, just like in this situation.

I'd love to hear your thoughts or any experiences you've had...

dustymarlin10 said:The chaos of the last few weeks pretty much forced my hand to start this thread.

My dad has a heart condition and lives with a pacemaker. He had the device swapped out earlier this year, which went smoothly enough, until about six weeks ago when the edge of the unit actually pierced through his skin, leaving this little 4-5 mm "spike" poking out.

This whole mess coincided perfectly with his routine checkup at the local Mayo Clinic.

And wouldn't you know it, they admitted him on the spot.

During that first week of being stuck there, they put him through an absolute marathon of tests—everything from daily blood and urine work to heart and abdominal scans, gastroscopies (?), X-rays of his heart and lungs, pyelography, brain and lung CT scans, and even a colonoscopy (!).... If you ask me, half of that felt like total overkill.
Everything came back normal, except for his creatinine levels, but we've known about that for a while now.
Now he’s been sitting in a hospital bed for two weeks straight without a single actual procedure being done, just waiting for the doctors to finally "reach a consensus" on how to handle the pacemaker—whether they fix the damage or just swap the whole unit out. They told us nothing would happen before the end of the week, maybe Friday if a surgeon actually shows up.(!)

So, here’s what I’m wondering:

Is it actually necessary to burn through this much money on tests that seem completely illogical?
And is it really essential to keep someone hospitalized for this long just so the staff can finish their "consultations" regarding what to do with him?

We all see it happening constantly—how people are left waiting forever for basic tests, therapy, or surgery, yet on the flip side, money and resources are being wasted on seemingly pointless things, just like in this situation.

I'd love to hear your thoughts or any experiences you've had...

I can't give you a definitive answer because I don't know the full medical history or the specific test results.

vividsailor7 said:I can't give you a definitive answer because I don't know the full medical history or the specific test results.

I wasn't even talking about one specific case; I was pointing out the whole logic behind how money is being thrown around, which just doesn't make any sense...

Then again, it’s pretty obvious they’ve run a mountain of expensive tests—who knows what they were even looking for—only for every single result to come back perfectly normal...
It’s also glaringly obvious that the patient has been stuck in the hospital for three weeks now while they’re still "negotiating" and "waiting on a surgeon"...

If that isn't a total waste of resources, then I honestly don't know what is...

dustymarlin10, asking about the logic behind vehicle inspections is like questioning why an inspection exists when everything looks fine with the car—except maybe the exhaust sounds like a foghorn even though there isn't a hole in it. Look, most people actually finished school and have a clue about what they're doing and why they're doing it.
Just let professionals do their jobs. If something doesn't sit right with you, ask direct questions and demand straight answers; you have every right to do that, just like your old man would. I’ll be the first to admit nothing is perfect, but I guarantee you they are cutting corners on things they absolutely shouldn't be skimping on.