Why do people ask for medical info here?

[disneyfans95]

It always boggles my mind when I see someone with "insert random medical issue here" and asks everything from if they need to go to the ER, call 911 or set up their plot at the local cemetery..

Honestly, don't folks call a MEDICAL professionals? If your first instinct is to hit a Disney forum to see if that red bump is a going to give septic shock, you got your priorities wrong..

I mean, there are stuff here that people post that screams call 911 and they take the time to post and hope some random person with zero true medical training might give them good advice.

 

[tvguy]

It's a discussion board. I hear those kind of questions at work and from friends from time to time too. And these days, very few medical professionals will give out advice over the phone, they want to see you in person....and bill you for their services.

 

[low-key]

just what tv guy said, often if something is wrong you ask a few people at work or family what they think, everyone knows if it dont get better you get to a Doctor

 

[cluvsdisney]

I always wondered that too.

It's one thing to ask about someone's experience with a procedure or condition to get an inkling of what the original poster can possibly expect. But the "I'm bleeding out of my eye, should I go to the ER or wait until my doctor is in on Monday" questions baffle me.

 

[kwelch10377]

It's a discussion board. I hear those kind of questions at work and from friends from time to time too. And these days, very few medical professionals will give out advice over the phone, they want to see you in person....and bill you for their services.

I would agree, but I will say there are somethings that people need to use a little common sense and seek the advice of a medical professional right away.

 

[disneyfans95]

It's a discussion board. I hear those kind of questions at work and from friends from time to time too. And these days, very few medical professionals will give out advice over the phone, they want to see you in person....and bill you for their services.

right so call your provider.. They have advice nurses for a reason..

I mean 99% of it is common sense and they still will say "I have 103 fever, my stomach hurts and I am bleed thru my nose". Should I call my doctor or take some advil?

You really think they are just trolling I mean real people can't be that out of touch? To POST here before calling 911, or your doctor or going to urgent care..

 

[phorsenuf]

It always boggles my mind when I see someone with "insert random medical issue here" and asks everything from if they need to go to the ER, call 911 or set up their plot at the local cemetery..

Honestly, don't folks call a MEDICAL professionals? If your first instinct is to hit a Disney forum to see if that red bump is a going to give septic shock, you got your priorities wrong..

I mean, there are stuff here that people post that screams call 911 and they take the time to post and hope some random person with zero true medical training might give them good advice.

Sometimes people just need a sounding board. As long as it's not something life-threatening then I see no harm.

 

[tvguy]

right so call your provider.. They have advice nurses for a reason..

MY INSURANCE DROPPED THE ADVICE NURSES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO BECAUSE THE DOCTORS WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT PATIENTS NOT CALLING THEM.

I mean 99% of it is common sense and they still will say "I have 103 fever, my stomach hurts and I am bleed thru my nose". Should I call my doctor or take some advil?

You really think they are just trolling I mean real people can't be that out of touch? To POST here before calling 911, or your doctor or going to urgent care..
I WORK IN A TV NEWSROOM, ANSWERING CALLS FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR 37+ YEARS HAS SHOWN ME THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE THAT OUT OF TOUCH. MORE THAN ONCE AFTER A PRESIDENTIAL NEWS CONFERENCE, I HAVE HAD PEOPLE CALL WANTING TO TALK TO THE PRESIDENT........"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE ISN'T THERE, HE WAS JUST ON YOUR CHANNEL"

.

 

[disneyfans95]

.

Ok so you quoted in all caps and added nothing TVguy.. Sorry bud, but what was the point?

 

[tinkgirl1984]

You really think they are just trolling I mean real people can't be that out of touch? To POST here before calling 911, or your doctor or going to urgent care..

Yes, I think real people are that out of touch. I'm a nurse in a cardiology office now. Previously in CVICU. You wouldn't believe the number of people who call every day saying "I'm having pain in my chest and down my left arm. And kind of in my jaw. I'm sweaty and I feel nauseated, and this feels just like my last heart attack...can I have an appt. next week with Dr. Cardiologist?" It makes me literally want to slam the phone and scream GO TO THE ER!!! And it never fails that as soon as you tell them to go to the ER, they want to know which one. Really??? The CLOSEST one. I guess calling your doctors office is slightly better than posting on a Disney message board, but really, not by much sometimes. You just can't help some people.

 

[tvguy]

Ok so you quoted in all caps and added nothing TVguy.. Sorry bud, but what was the point?

No, my response is the bolded part.

 

[phorsenuf]

Ok so you quoted in all caps and added nothing TVguy.. Sorry bud, but what was the point?

I believe his answers were within the post in caps.

 

[Jennasis]

Ok so you quoted in all caps and added nothing TVguy.. Sorry bud, but what was the point?

Ummm, his comments WERE the caps. Or did you think YOU wrote that (since it was you he quoted).

 

[denisenh]

It always boggles my mind when I see someone with "insert random medical issue here" and asks everything from if they need to go to the ER, call 911 or set up their plot at the local cemetery..

Honestly, don't folks call a MEDICAL professionals? If your first instinct is to hit a Disney forum to see if that red bump is a going to give septic shock, you got your priorities wrong..

I mean, there are stuff here that people post that screams call 911 and they take the time to post and hope some random person with zero true medical training might give them good advice.

i am interested to know why this bothers you enough to start a thread about it? i don't understand why anyone would question why another dis'er posts or asks whatever it is they post about.
look ......now i'm doing it.

 

[Belle0101]

It's a discussion board. I hear those kind of questions at work and from friends from time to time too. And these days, very few medical professionals will give out advice over the phone, they want to see you in person....and bill you for their services.

(BBM)
That would be my doctor's office.

It goes like this: Call the office, get a recording to wait for the next available receptionist, receptionist answers and transfers you to the nurse's voice mail where you leave your message. (There are 4 doctors and 1 nurse.) If you call before noon the nurse will call you back in the afternoon. Calling in the afternoon means your call will get returned the next business day.

But it doesn't really matter because the response is always, "Doctor would like to see you. S/He has an open appointment on ____." It's usually 2 or more days out.

 

[badblackpug]

It's a discussion board. I hear those kind of questions at work and from friends from time to time too. And these days, very few medical professionals will give out advice over the phone, they want to see you in person....and bill you for their services.

Actually, no. Most healthcare providers are no longer willing to give advice over the phone because everyone wants to sue for everything. It's a lose-lose situation. If you tell the patient to wait to see the doctor and something happens they want to sue. If you send the patient to the ER and they don't like that outcome, they want to sue. So the canned response is: "I'm not permitted to give medical advice over the telephone, we can get you in for an appointment on xx/xx/xxxx at yy:yy, but if you feel that this is a true medical emergency, or if your condition worsens you need to seek immediate treatment at your closest emergency department."

Then people are still mad when they get to the ER if they have to wait. "MY DOCTOR SENT ME TO THE ER!"

 

[hellow]

I really thought the nurse advice lines were very helpful, but I think ours went away a year or two ago.

I am too private to ask a medical question on a discussion board, but I will talk to friends and family before showing up in the immediate care or the ER. Both places have a tendency to waste both your money and your time unless you REALLY need to go. And sometimes it is hard to know. Sometimes you need to go directly to the ER, and will save yourself some time and an office visit cost by going straight there. We have a "penalty" co-pay for going to the ER with my insurance so I never go there directly unless I know for sure that Immediate care won't treat me.

Maybe some people who are more isolated find it easier to go to a discussion board rather than track down a friend or family member they can trust.

 

[kimblebee]

We have Healthlinks here. It is a number you can call for medical advice. It is open 24/7 and is always answered by a nurse. Usually they will end up telling you to go to the ER but I guess that's to cover their butts. Since we don't pay for doctor or ER visits I usually take their advice.

 

[ORMom2Four]

Because we all have terrible insurance now with a $3,000 deductible and DIS boards are our new way to receive medical care?

Seriously though, I think it's the same as calling your mom, sister or friend and asking for their opinion.

(btw, I do have a $3K deductible and have stopped going to the Dr. because of it, lol)

 

[smitch425]

I have wondered about some of the medical threads, too, but I have found that if someone posts a thread asking if anyone has "insert hard to pronounce illness here", 10 Disers respond with their experiences with that illness. There are several thousand members on this site, and chances are that someone knows the answer to a lot of the medical questions. At least enough of an answer to give sound advice on what the poster might be dealing with.

Obviously if you are bleeding or in immediate distress, you should call 911 or head to the ER, but if you have just been diagnosed with something and are reaching out for a kind ear in a place where you have build internet friendships, I see nothing wrong with doing that at all.