Would you write a letter to complain?

[wvjules]

For the past few weeks I've had really bad lower back pain. On Wednesay last week I broke down and went to the ER. I got put in my room the doctor comes in and says I look like I'm in a lot of pain and orders a shot. That's all he did. No physical exam, no x-rays, no nothing. I think I saw the actual doctor for less than a minute for the whole two hours I was there. He didn't even come back to the room after the demerol to check on me. I got two shots of demerol which I'm grateful for but the more I think about the lack of treatment I received, the more upset I get. Would you write a letter to the hospital or just let it go?

BTW, I'm better now. The chiropractor has worked wonders. I'm going to keep seeing him for a few more weeks to stregthen the muscles in my lower back though.

 

[JCJRSmith]

You are in pain for a few weeks and then go to the ER? Why didn't you go to your regular physician. ER docs treat emergencies. Yours wasn't an emergency from the way you descibed it.

Glad you are feeling better though. Back pain sucks.

 

[puffkin]

A little confused why you went to the ER for non-emergency back pain? The doctors there are trained for emergencies, which this obviously wasn't. I would think your regular doctor would have been more sympathetic and thorough, and could have possibly referred you to the appropriate specialist if need be.

Sorry, but I don't think there is much to complain about. Glad your back feels better though.

 

[wvjules]

The pain was excruciating at that time. I could barely move so I chose to go to FastTrack in the local ER. Not being able to move was an emergency to me. Thanks for your advice though.

 

[Hillbeans]

About 3 years ago I had a bad skiing accident in PA. I hurt my knee and thought I should go to a local ER to get checked out.

Long story short, I waited in the ER for many hours and when the Dr. finally saw me, he told me I probably tore my ACL and to go see my PCP - probably spent 2 minutes with me. Waste of my time, but he was right - I needed to see my PCP for a referral to an orthopedic specialist.

I think ER docs are more worried about the life and death "emergencies" and a regular doctor should be called first for other things. Live and learn - but I still felt a lot like you're feeling now - sort of mad at them for not doing more for me when I was in a lot of pain.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

 

[CajunDixie]

Well like always I'm going to disagree with the other posters.
Not only should you have gone to the ER but if the pain was affecting you physically as in you could not properly stand or sit then you should have had someone else drive you or called an ambulance. A doctor should never simply give a patient pain meds without examing them and asking for medical history. Write your letter then send copies to the ER Dr., the head of the ER, the hospital administrator, and your insurance company. And request an itemized hospital bill so you can make sure you weren't charged for services you didn't receive!!

It can take weeks to get into a doctor's office so sometimes the ER is the only choice. Now that you've been to the ER you should follow up with a examine with your regular Dr.

From past experience I know of 2 people who had such horrible back pain they could not get out of bed. After repeated trips to the ER and their doctors they each found out they had 2 different kinds of cancer. One ER Dr. even went so far as to tell the one patient his weight was causing his "bad back"