I have figured out the high cost of U S medicine

[lauradi7dw]

Or at least one small part of it. My mother had a likely TIA yesterday. They have done masses of tests to rule out other things, the PT and OT have signed off that she is strong enough to do ADLs, and she is sincerely wishing to go home, but the neurologists almost all work in outpatient clinics during the day, only showing up at the hospital (part of the Duke medicine system) during off hours. The neurologist is the most qualified to decide whether to change her meds in the effort to prevent a future stroke. The discharge docs go home at six. She therefore will need to spend another night, at a cost of hundreds to Medicare, for a ten minute neurological consultation. We asked about going home today and trying to make an appointment at one of the aforementioned neurology clinics in the next few days, but their booking time is weeks or months.

Comments

[nosrednayduj]

This same thing happened to Ken when he was in the hospital with pneumonia 8 years ago. Everyone was ready to let him go home, but he needed to do infused antibiotics, and the nurse to do the training wasn't available, so they wouldn't let him go.