Interesting read from Edm. Journal re: Alberta Healthcare

[Brannigans Law]

A doctor’s letter to his patients

If we are going to fix health care, we need to consult the experts, physician says

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/healt...181/story.html

EDMONTON - The Alberta government is deceiving you about our province’s health-care system. It is trying to convince you that it, and it alone, knows how best to plan, manage and deliver health care; and that it is able to do so without the input and expertise of those of us on the front lines who actually deliver care.

Further, the government is seeking to destroy the efforts of a multitude of individuals who have been struggling to redefine and re-innovate how your health care is delivered since the last time a Progressive Conservative government decimated health care.

Remember regionalization from the Klein era? No more hospital boards, which were replaced by 17 health regions, which were later consolidated into nine.

It’s the reason you can only obtain proper ophthalmology care at one of our five city hospitals (Royal Alexandra). Or why Edmonton’s busiest obstetrical centre for babies and women (Grey Nuns) has no pediatric services for children. Or why our busiest neonatal and pediatric centre for babies and children (The Stollery) has no women’s medicine. Or why our vascular centre (Grey Nuns) has no trauma services. Or why our busiest trauma centre (University of Alberta) has no vascular surgery program. Or why our thoracic centre (Royal Alexandra) has no cardiac surgery or bypass capability.

[Bill Bumface]

Health care in this province is a total mess, and I'm not convinced it's a funding problem at all.

Examples:

At my current doctor, it's one appointment to get your information in the system.
Another appointment in a few months when you are assigned a family doctor. During this appointment you may not address any health concerns. That needs to be another appointment. God help you if there are test results, no discussing those without an appointment.

So that's 4 appointments to get something simple checked out that requires any lab work. What a waste of money and resources.

It should have been one appointment and a phone call.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Health care in this province is a total mess, and I'm not convinced it's a funding problem at all.

Examples:

At my current doctor, it's one appointment to get your information in the system.
Another appointment in a few months when you are assigned a family doctor. During this appointment you may not address any health concerns. That needs to be another appointment. God help you if there are test results, no discussing those without an appointment.

So that's 4 appointments to get something simple checked out that requires any lab work. What a waste of money and resources.

It should have been one appointment and a phone call.

I wonder if the doctor can bill for all those? IE: the first one to get your information into the system.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Health care in this province is a total mess, and I'm not convinced it's a funding problem at all.

Examples:

At my current doctor, it's one appointment to get your information in the system.
Another appointment in a few months when you are assigned a family doctor. During this appointment you may not address any health concerns. That needs to be another appointment. God help you if there are test results, no discussing those without an appointment.

So that's 4 appointments to get something simple checked out that requires any lab work. What a waste of money and resources.

It should have been one appointment and a phone call.

I think they get paid for appointments don't they? Motivation.

Here's the scary thing though . . . . . administratively, Canada and most other publicly funded health systems are about two or three times more efficient with dollars than the USA system where governments do not set pricing levels. The USA spends lots of money on healthcare with far less effect per person.

Cowperson

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

I think they get paid for appointments don't they? Motivation.

Here's the scary thing though . . . . . administratively, Canada and most other publicly funded health systems are about two or three times more efficient with dollars than the USA system where governments do not set pricing levels. The USA spends lots of money on healthcare with far less effect per person.

Cowperson

Yup, they get paid for every appointment. It's a scam. That is scary for the US, but we need to remember that comparing our spending to the US is one of the very few metrics that shows positively for our system.

[Azure]

So the superboard has been disbanded again? I thought it got swept under the rug.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I wonder if the doctor can bill for all those? IE: the first one to get your information into the system.

Yes they can.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Yes they can.

So if the doctor does not see the patient and everything done is clerical, they can still invoice for a dr visit or is it a different billing code?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

So if the doctor does not see the patient and everything done is clerical, they can still invoice for a dr visit or is it a different billing code?

No. It isn't actually a clerical visit. It's a visit for the doctor to get to know the patient and find out from a global perspective where their health is at. It's actually a beneficial visit. They only hey paid for that part for that visit, so if you have another issue they would be addressing it for free that visit.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

No. It isn't actually a clerical visit. It's a visit for the doctor to get to know the patient and find out from a global perspective where their health is at. It's actually a beneficial visit. They only hey paid for that part for that visit, so if you have another issue they would be addressing it for free that visit.

Appears to be a missunderstanding, I read the post as saying, the individual doesn't get any face time with the doctor, it is all forms and data entry by clerical.

Agree with your post about face to face for new patient.

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Health care in this province is a total mess, and I'm not convinced it's a funding problem at all.

Examples:

At my current doctor, it's one appointment to get your information in the system.
Another appointment in a few months when you are assigned a family doctor. During this appointment you may not address any health concerns. That needs to be another appointment. God help you if there are test results, no discussing those without an appointment.

So that's 4 appointments to get something simple checked out that requires any lab work. What a waste of money and resources.

It should have been one appointment and a phone call.

Same as my new doctor, with the addition of a sign that says you can only address one issue per appointment. Can't ask about my knee after we talk about my test results..

At least I have a family doctor now, first time in four years of looking.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Yup, they get paid for every appointment. It's a scam. That is scary for the US, but we need to remember that comparing our spending to the US is one of the very few metrics that shows positively for our system.

I wish people would also remember that there are lots of health systems with lower costs and better outcomes than ours or the us.

It's like the oilers and flames comparing themselves while ignoring all the actual good teams.

(A general comment, not directed at you specifically)

[Plett25]

Canada's health care system is pretty average for developed countries. Nothing to be embarrassed about but nothing to brag about either.

There's lots of room for improvement, but average with room for improvement is not as newsworthy or as politically valuable as screaming "HEALTH CARE DEBACLE"

[Ducay]

I'd say Alberta's primary healthcare system is leaps and bounds above where our long-term care / assisted living levels are at. Downright embarassing in a province with such wealth. Problem is people don't care or bat an eye about it until they/family member end up there.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

They only hey paid for that part for that visit, so if you have another issue they would be addressing it for free that visit.

Here's an idea. If a doctor can run 5 minutes of health questions by me during a 15 minute appointment, why can't he take a 10 minute look at another problem I'm having? It's better, more efficient care. Pay them per hour, not per visit. Doctors should get a lower hourly rate if they have a higher rate of repeat patient visits than other doctors.

[Fire]

The private sector would fill in the gaps inside the public system if given a chance.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Doctors should get a lower hourly rate if they have a higher rate of repeat patient visits than other doctors.

So, if one doctor's patients have more medical issues and thus go to the doctor more often than the average they should make less? This sounds like it could lead to doctors being "unable to take on more patients" when encountering one with ongoing medical issues beyond their control.

[Sr. Mints]

I think it depends on the doctor. I've been seeing the GP I see now since 2000, when my old GP retired. At first he was one issue/appointment, charged for letters or forms, insisted on faxing prescriptions to a certain pharmacy.

He has mellowed out a ton since then. Whether he's gotten to know me now, or relaxed his rules, I don't know. Though he still has signs pinned up around his office regarding forms and letters not being covered by AB Health, and "one issue/appointment," he makes a point to see if there's anything else on my mind and doesn't charge for paperwork.

[Shin Pad]

Well, as bad as it might be in Alberta, it is light years ahead of what they have down here in Arizona. It makes you appreciate HC in Canada - even if it isn't perfect.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Here's an idea. If a doctor can run 5 minutes of health questions by me during a 15 minute appointment, why can't he take a 10 minute look at another problem I'm having? It's better, more efficient care. Pay them per hour, not per visit. Doctors should get a lower hourly rate if they have a higher rate of repeat patient visits than other doctors.

You do realize that your appointment may be 5 minutes but the doctor's work on your file isn't done.

Just because they see you for 5 minutes doesn't mean your file and paper work magically did its self in 5 minutes too.