Are you happy with the health care in your province?

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Permalink Reply by nel peach on September 28, 2009 at 12:37pm

This is my personal view , others may disagree and living in BC : I have had several occasions, where 1 ) I changed from an Internist , because I was told in 2000 , that insulin pumping was not for me to pumping in 2001 ; 2 ) my GP questioned me, if finger poking of 10-12 times daily was excessive almost one year ago .Also when I asked about a bone density test , I was looked at as " asking too much " . The order was given , after I mentioned, , that women with type 1 diabetes are at risk ( as told to me by my Pump docter ) ...I do have osteoporosis .There is NO shortage of GP's in my community . I have now a GP , who is understanding and certainly knows more about type 1 diabetes. It works for me to be pro-active . I had breast surgery in 1984 and lymph node was removed and this hot summer my arm started to swell ; went to GP ...tests were done immediately , was sent to a Surgeon .A bit unusual for this to happen 24 plus years after surgery ; I have a lesion in one of the nodes . No follow up is required , my mind put at ease ,related to lymphodema however Surgeon reminded me , that if I have other concerns to be in touch with her and/or GP .
My Husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer over 6 years ago ; again Specialists were seen , treatment was started immediately .And has follow up visitations .
Please note the discussion I added ,about the time when NovaScotians went to their voting place...too bad : not many comments . I do advocacy work with the Canadian Diabetes Association ... the bottem line is , that we are heard and seen by the Feds and Provincial polititians ...so please take the opportunity to become heard and seen as I did. And be part of the changes , that may occur in your province .Hope I answered your question .

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Permalink Reply by Colleen Fuller on September 28, 2009 at 12:53pm

Here in BC we've been demanding that the provincial government improve the public system, but they prefer to off-load everything to the private sector. This is really aggravating, since surgical clinics and private radiology labs are using nurses and doctors that we've put a lot of money in to training and that simply can't be in two places at the same time. Wendy Armstrong, who did a major report on this issue in Alberta for the Consumers Association, said that wait times for patients whose doctors were practicing in both the public and private sector were the longest. For patients whose doctors only practiced in the public system, the wait times were much shorter and were about the same with those whose doctors only practiced in the private sector. Other studies in Canada have shown similar problems. So from my point of view if doctors would stop dancing around in the private sector it would be a lot easier to resolve some of these wait time problems. Another Alberta report, this one by Dr Cy Frank of the Alberta Bone & Joint Health Institute, showed that simple changes within the public system -- like reorganizing the queue -- can significantly reduce wait times -- and in fact, he has done this in Calgary. If you want to see the Armstrong you can get it at http://www.albertaconsumers.org/CanaryS.htm. If you want more information about the Frank report, go to http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=f1238e67-c23f-4....

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Permalink Reply by nel peach on September 28, 2009 at 8:51pm

I like to add as an observation : our North America mentality may include : " have to have more , have to have better ...this cost $$$ s ...this adds to our taxes ...so are we willing ?
Urgent stuff is taken care off as in my and my hubby's examples of the day . We , compared to other nations, have most likely the best system ...and yet there is and always will be room for improvement as I read in the Frank report ...
( thanks Colleen for making this av. here ) . My plea is again for you to get involved in the process and decision making. PS : Some time ago I used to work in a hospital and no patient ever wanted to have surgery at Christmas time ...wards were closed .

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Permalink Reply by rainbowgoddess on October 10, 2009 at 12:25pm

I'm another person representing BC. I know that I need a referral to see a specialist; I had this conversation with my endo a few months ago. He said that people sometimes ask him, "Hey, my friend was just diagnosed with diabetes; can you see him/her?" He said that he doesn't get paid without a referral from a GP. Once I have the referral, though, it is "good" for a few years so I don't need a referral every time I go see him.

What does bug me is that when I do get the referral, my GP's office will book the appointment for me, without consulting me as to when would be convenient for me. They don't let me call the specialist and make the appointment myself. That means I have to completely rearrange my schedule, and often take time off work, in order to keep the appointment. Changing the appointment isn't an option; I'd probably have to wait up to six months for the specialist to have an opening.

I am grateful to at least have a GP; there are many people in BC who don't have one. I have to wait two to three weeks sometimes to get an appointment with my GP if it isn't urgent. But if it is urgent -- ie, not a dire emergency but I'm in pain or something like that -- they'll try to fit me in as soon as possible.

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Permalink Reply by HFXNS on October 12, 2009 at 5:28pm

I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As a Canadian, I don't like to complain too much about the health care I receive because I know Americans have it so much worse, but when I read about American type 1 diabetics getting to see their endocrinologists several times a year, I feel like things here could be better.

I get to see my endocrinologist less than once a year. I am supposed to have an annual appointment with him, but last year, I waited a year and four months between "annual" appointments. And when I did see him--fully prepared with recent A1c results and weeks of blood glucose records to show him--he said he couldn't really look at my blood glucose records because he only had 15 minutes to talk to me. He said, "they tell me I am only allowed to talk to patients for 15 minutes."

I wish I received better care, because I do feel awfully alone in managing this disease.I know there isn't a ton that the endocrinologist can do for me, but he could at least pretend to care.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly on October 12, 2009 at 7:30pm

Are you a Type 1? That would be really difficult to manage everything without support. Do you have access to a diabetes education nurse or a dietician?

It sounds like things are similar in Calgary. Type 2s don't necessarily get to even see an endocrinologist. My mother in law was diagnosed in 2004 and has never seen one. She manages through her family doctor.

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Permalink Reply by HFXNS on October 13, 2009 at 6:43am

Yes, I am a type 1. I have visited the diabetes education clinic, but didn't find it to be useful. They are not operating at the same level as me.

I don't think type 2s need to be seen by endocrinologists. I think that part of the reason that mine has so little time is because he is seeing so many type 2s. They are the kind of people who would benefit from the basic help that diabetes educators provide. Type 1s, however, need to see doctors.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly on October 29, 2009 at 3:32pm

Phew! It's getting hot in here...

Yeah, blame other patients you know nothing about. That'll fix the system.

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