Reguarding the Emergency Dept: Unfortunately, nowa...

Reguarding the Emergency Dept: Unfortunately, nowadays you have to ask as many questions as possible. Sometimes this isn't possible when you are out of town and your wife has to take a child to the ER. My child was seen for a simple matter and was diagnosed immediately. Treatment began immediately. That should be the end of the story. However, a number of unnecessary and expensive tests were done that are not indicated as standard workup. without me present, my wife was confused and did not understand what was going on. Despite what the patient bill of rights says, having a nurse simply ask "do you have any questions" or "we're just going to do this for a test" is deemed appropriate even though it does nothing to explain why it is necessary or how it will help direct treatment. This issue is not unique to MGH. In talking to another medical professional who specialized in pediatrics he admits to seeing this happen a lot in the ER setting. So while I wasted $1000 on tests after a diagnosis and treatment was started you can avoid this by asking: what is this test for AND how will it help treatment (and how much does it cost). Thankfully, I can bear the occasional unexpected expense. While the testing done did not guide or contribute to treatment, the treatment was spot on and my kiddo is healthy.

If you take anything away from this review, remember this tip: WHAT IS IT FOR, HOW WILL IT DIRECT TREATMENT, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST. Ask it often. Put it on a sticky note and tape it to your medical card.