Obamacare

[vuxanne]

Evo zanimljiv clanak vezan za temu: Angie's list: When should you visit an ER, urgent care, your doctor or call 911? Date Published: Sep 12 2013, by Doug Bonderud, Angie's List Contributor

Medical issues happen: Sudden sickness can lay an entire family low, while a car crash can leave you with head or spinal injuries and a suddenly worsened chronic condition can put your life at risk. But while recognizing the need for health care treatment is straightforward, choosing which level of care suits you can be more dicey. Just how do you choose the best option: ER, urgent care, family doctor or 911?
Your doc: Your family doctor specializes in long-term, knowledgeable care. This means he or she keeps track of any chronic health problems you may have, has a working knowledge of your medical history and keeps a record of all your visits. His role is to provide treatment for minor illnesses you contract, prescribe medicine for an ongoing issue or help determine what's wrong if you develop new (minor) symptoms. You typically won't be able to make an appointment same-day with your doctor, so if you don't feel comfortable waiting that long for care, consider the next level.
Urgent care: You'll often find an urgent care (also called immediate care) facility staffed by one or two doctors and several nurses or even nurse practitioners. Expect a wait at these locations, anywhere from half an hour to several hours, depending on the nature of your complaint. Urgent care is meant to fill gap between family doctors and hospitals. These facilities provide treatment for an illness with suddenly worsening symptoms or for minor injuries that don't require surgery or extensive rehabilitation.
The ER: An ER is next on the list: It's where you want to go in the case of a true "emergency." The goal of emergency doctors is to evaluate patient complaints and determine whether they need hospitalization. Head to the emergency room if you're involved in a motor vehicle accident, if you develop sudden chest pains, numbness in your limbs or lose the ability to speak. In other words, if friends and family would be rushing to your side and asking, "Are you OK?", consider the emergency room. These facilities work on a priority system, meaning you could be waiting hours with a minor complaint or be ushered inside immediately if you're in severe pain.
911: A 911 call is your last stop on the health care list. Use 911 only if you can't get to a hospital quickly or if the nature of your illness or injury is such that it requires immediate medical attention. The loss of a limb, for example, a heart attack or stroke are all good reasons to call 911. Never attempt to drive yourself to the emergency room if you experience any sort of severe chest pain or have passed out.
What's ailing you: In addition to understanding care levels, you also need to judge your own symptoms accurately. Start by identifying the problem. If it's chronic in nature and slow in onset, you can probably wait to see a doctor. If your symptoms are sudden and uncomfortable, pick an urgent care center. If your condition comes on quickly and is accompanied by severe pain, bleeding or vomiting, opt for an emergency room. Finally, if your symptoms cause you to black out or lose control of your body, even for a short period of time, call 911 and have an ambulance or emergency vehicle come to you.
Think of it like this:
- Familiar symptoms means Family doctor.
- Unexpected and Uncomfortable means Urgent care.
- Emergent (sudden) and painful means ER.
- Anything else means 911.
Keeping your wallet off life support: In addition to extra wait times, if you head to the hospital when your family doctor will do, you can also expect to pay more. Urgent care centers may or may not be covered by your health plan, and the same goes for any treatment at an emergency room. Ambulance rides are expensive ($500 or more), and while many plans cover one or two per year, the costs can quickly add up. It's also worth noting that most "extras" in a hosptial — which includes everything from extra pillows to private rooms to more food — comes with an extra cost. Your in-network, family doctor is always the most cost-effective option, so long as you bring the right problems to his doorstep. Waiting too long when you should have chosen urgent care or the ER can be just as costly because your doctor will have to prescribe extra treatments or may even need to hospitalize you.