How's your Doc?

Hi All,

Up smoking and browsing again and thought I'd check if there are any comments regards a new doc I'll be seeing tomorrow ... and then I thought of all you folks restoring vehicles, and shearing sheep, and ... well, injuries you know, you all must need to go running to your doc for a little fixing up occassionally ...

If you want to see if a doc of yours is listed and read patient comments about them, it's pretty interesting. I always bear in mind though that some comments are simply coming from someone who may have just had a real personality or communications clash with their docs, but if a lot of people comment and say the same sorts of things ... well ... interesting to hear what people are saying anyways. Some docs and patients just clash. And some docs are just awful in general. And some patients impossible in general.

I know a lot of docs really hate this site and want it taken down, and I can understand why ... they can really get smeared and damaged reps in it, and that's not a good thing when it's undeserved

Places include Canada, USA, UK, Australia & New Zealand.
Just click on the flag of your country and you're off .........

http://ratemds.com/social/

Have fun

[Howard]

In this part of the world the nearest doctor is at Coolamon (15km) but he is booked out for 6 weeks. Next is Wagga Wagga where average times to get into a Dr is about 3 weeks. You can present to the emergency section of the Hospital & wait for an average of 4-6 hours to be seen by a "Doctor" anout 18 years of age & unable to speak english...
So if you injure yourself around here you have to do it by appointment only...

Sounds like health care lacking no matter where you go these days, on one level or another.

Maybe you got the non-english speaking doc because we got (or are about to get) your Australian doc here!!! (I think he's a pediatrician )

Amazing how many docs we have (in our smaller communities) from other countries!!! The top surgeon here, excellent rave reviews for him, is from India or some such place.

Ma

Now rate your health care

January 21, 2008

Canadian health care system lags behind Europe, says study

By THE CANADIAN PRESS


OTTAWA - Canada ranks 23rd out of 30 countries surveyed in the "consumer friendliness" of its health care system, says a new report compiled by European and Canadian researchers.

The study undertaken by a pair of private think tanks - the Winnipeg-based Frontier Centre for Public Policy and Brussels-based Health Consumer Powerhouse - measured Canada's performance against that of 29 European nations. It found Canada scored well in terms of medical outcomes, a category that included factors such as heart attack and cancer survival rates and data on a range of other medical procedures.

But the Canadian score plunged in areas such as waiting times for treatment, range of services available, ready access to new drugs and some diagnostic tools, and the legal rights of patients.

Austria was at the top of the list, with an overall score of 806 of a possible 1,000 points on a complex statistical grid.

The next five finishers in order were the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Germany and Sweden.

Canada was three-quarters of the way down the list with 550 points out of 1,000, a showing that was better than countries like Latvia and Poland but not as good as the U.K., Czech Republic, Spain and Estonia.

The study is billed as the first annual Euro-Canada Health Consumer Index, although it consists essentially of plugging Canadian data into European rankings that have been published for the last several years.

Comparing Canada with Europe, rather than with its next-door neighbour the United States, offers a better picture of the state of national health care, say the study's sponsors.

"The Canadian health care system - publicly financed and governed - has much more in common with most European systems than it does with the American one," said a joint statement by Johan Hjertqvist of Health Consumer Powerhouse and Peter Holle, president of the Frontier Centre.

They promised another report later this year comparing Canadian provinces with each other to "support further debate" about health care in Canada.

Hjertqvist has made a name in his native Swede, and across Europe, as an advocate of a greater role for private medical services within an overall system that is publicly funded.

The Frontier Centre describes itself as non-partisan and independent, but critics say it has a decidedly right-wing philosophy.

The organization was at the centre of a controversy last year when it was given a contract by the Conservative government of Stephen Harper to study electoral reform - even though it was already on record as favouring the current first-past-the-post system.

The consumer health study notes that "no one country excels across the entire range" of statistical indicators used to compile the rankings.

It notes, however, that countries with "pluralistic financing" - systems that feature multiple insurers and a for-profit component - generally score high on issues like patient rights and access to medical records and information.

By contrast, countries like Canada suffer from an "expert-driven attitude" that isn't as consumer friendly.

The thumbnail verdict on Canada is: "Solid outcomes, moderate to poor provision levels and very poor scores with regard to patients' rights and accessibility."

The study also notes that Canada spends more on health care than any other country surveyed, even though it obtains poorer than average results.

That means Canada ranks dead last out of 30 on yet another statistical grid called the Bang for the Buck index.

[Rookie]

Vets I have to reply.

My wife was saved by a Sri Lankan Surgeon, my daughter had very extensive plastic surgery by a Singaporian Surgeon ( who also does free treatment to people who suffer from the "Port Wine" birthmarks) Boy am I glad they emigrated to New Zealand.

Rookie

I think a lot of our most exceptional and excellent docs and specialists here are immigrants, seeming to look like those who immigrate take their careers/performance and patients more throughly and seriously than our homegrown ones, though I know a lot of excellent homegrown ones too I just think the immigrants, especially new ones, just give their all in order to be great citizens and stay here? All depends on the individual I guess.

[Rookie]

Maybe they care? Thats the experience I got. They did not have motives and what the hell they were good and saved lives in this family I dont give a rats ass where they come from They were good. No worries, too humid to get into a a debate, at the moment I would swap climates with you Vet I cant see sleep as being easy ( Not like the Aussies who all seem to have air con)!!!

Rookie

Originally posted by Rookie
Maybe they care? Thats the experience I got. They did not have motives and what the hell they were good and saved lives in this family I dont give a rats ass where they come from They were good. No worries, too humid to get into a a debate, at the moment I would swap climates with you Vet I cant see sleep as being easy ( Not like the Aussies who all seem to have air con)!!!

Rookie

I feel the same ... don't care about origins, only care about quality care

-15c right now ... warmer At least with the cold you can do things to warm up but with heat and no aircon ... ouch. I feel for you!!!

[Howard]

Re my previous post above.
I am sorry if my previous post on this thread sounds racist. After re-reading it now, and rookie's reply, I realise that it may seem that way to some.
I was trying to display the point that the medical professionals at our Base hospital are very much wet behind the ears, and finding someone who you can trust often means driving 5 or 6 hours to Sydney or Melbourne.
My Dad passed away last November after years and years of mis-diagnosed (and un-undiagnosed) illness, and I guess I am carrying a bit of resentment and contempt for our health system.
I may be bitter about the (lack of) care that Dad received during his illness, however I am a realist and truly appreciate the efforts of those in medical training who make the effort to come out to the bush. I must admit, it must be daunting being posted to Nowheresville...
Rookie, I am sorry if my comments seem racist, and I apologize without hesitation if my comments have offended you , or any one else that has read this. Unreservedly.

You didn't sound racist at all to me Howard. Your words just sounded like stating a fact about the real lack of language skill and real lack of experience available that could make for pretty iffy and even dangerous, tragic, healthcare due to those things. having an immigrant "without the skills is the problem", having an immigrant is no problem unless the immigrant, like any human being can be, sucks at what they do.

A racist would condemn someone for being that race whether their language and medical skills were great or sucked I know you'd sing high praises of him were that guy skilled in both!!!

I highly doubt anyone would accuse you of racism and if they unjustly did, I'd kill 'em

In a separate post to keep this separate, I'm really sorry and saddened to hear about your loss of your dad and how that happened was tragic.

I wish things had gone differently and I certainly understand your resentment. I have some of my own around my Mom's health issues and care, and multi-toxic meds, and early death. I blame all the effects of the medications for her surgeries and death. Healthcare is only as good as the caregivers and services and as what they know SO FAR I guess, eh? Too bad.

One of the osteoporosis drugs I just stopped cold turkey a while back was later recently mentioned as 3 in 20,000 people can have the opposite effects of bone necrosis. The odds are a whole lot bigger for winning the lotto and I won a big bingo game once ($20,000) so I COULD win the necrosis lotto, with my luck ........ So, six of one, half a dozen of the other. Will I take that med as I'm supposed to with the prednisone to prevent the osteoporosis that long term prednisone causes or will I ... what?

Sigh.

I'd rather eat Tim Tams

[Howard]

Thanks Carmen.

I should say that I AM racist when it comes to those blights on our fair country, known as "Chevs"...

Originally posted by Howard
Thanks Carmen.

I should say that I AM racist when it comes to those blights on our fair country, known as "Chevs"...

Oh well, hey, I guess no one is perfect all the time and in everything

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi

So I was sent to a specialist here to get treatment after I came back from Afghanistan. Guess what his name is?

Dr. Al-Qda!!

Is it me or does that look like a "Terrorist" name?? I was somewhat anxious to meet him.

In truth, he was friendly, professional, young, and very knowledgable. One of the best doctors I have ever met.

Thanks for that link too, Karmen. The other doctor I see, who's on it, is described to a tee. My specialist isn't there but I may write him up for that site.

regards
Darrell

You're welcome Darrell. I like to be able to check what people are saying about their experiences of docs, especially when there are a lot of entries by different people. I think that people can "join" that site and add docs names and comments.

Speaking of names, some of them are really funny - or un-nerving like Al-Qda must have been very weird to get that name after A'stan ... yikes ... am glad he turned out great. Name could be taken as a symbol of specialist in the treatment of terrorist effects on those who chase terrorists down, like you

Dr. Haack ... dentist
Dr. Akin .... shrink (take yer achin' to Akin)

Here are some more names

http://www.u.arizona.edu/~stoddard/doctor.htm

[Rookie]

Howard

In no way did I find your post offensive or racist. These forums are to me open to free discussion, the point raised by vets and others seemed to be that doctors etc are travelling the world. Im glad they are coming here as all our doctors are heading for Australia or other countries to make money that can pay off their student debt that the Govt lends them.

No apology was required or sought keep up your opinions they are refreshing

Rookie

[Rookie]

P.S.

I OWN A CHEV

ROOKIE