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Care Opinion

Felt very judged in emergency trip

Posted By echobg69

"Felt very judged in emergency trip"

About: Kalgoorlie Health Campus / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

due to all my previous emergency trips i’ve had when dealing with many chronic illnesses we have avoided emergency room at all cost even if i’m in excruciating pain we will do anything to avoid going there. however recently we had no choice but to go to the emergency department as my foot that is affected by many of my ilnesses was so bad i couldn’t walk and was crying in pain it was so swollen. bruised and puffy.

when we got to ed i was triaged and eventually seen by a doctor who then gave us a lecture about how many x rays we have had and how i’ve been exposed to so much radiation. we know i’ve had many x rays and imaging due to doctors telling us to do that we listened to them. and now it seems i am being frowned upon, we also felt very judged when they kept asking me if i wanted pain relief i said no as i know what works and what doesnt so didn’t want to make myself constipated if it wasn’t going to help.

after this ed admission they gave us a medication to try and had an emergency consultation with my Rheumatolgist in perth due to how badly i am doing and how it is affecting me, making me r think I’m crazy or making it up when I’m not which we know but when they treat you like you are it dosent make you feel good! You can physically see the foot not looking normal. i believe our rheuamatoglist was appalled at how i had been treated by emergency and is now writing a letter explaining my medical conditions in detail so doctors can at least give us some help as being in a local town we can’t travel to perth everytime things get to bad which happens frequently we need help.

This is my home and I should not have to travel to Perth every time something goes wrong, or I’m in pain. My condition is complex, it is rare! Yes, I have all my specialists in Perth who I see regularly, and I know something isn’t right when I attend Kalgoorlie hospital and get turned away, and then have an emergency consult with my specialist , who then puts me on strong steroids and is deeply concerned! Why can’t Kalgoorlie show the same care and compassion, and not just, i feel lecture me about having too many x-rays.

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Responses

Response from Alicia Michalanney, A/Director, Kalgoorlie Health Campus, WA Country Health Service 12 months ago
Alicia Michalanney
A/Director, Kalgoorlie Health Campus,
WA Country Health Service

Leader of the teams and services at the Kalgoorlie Health Campus

Submitted on 17/04/2023 at 8:36 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 8:55 AM

picture of Alicia Michalanney

Dear echobg69

Thank you for reaching out and telling your story. I can understand that for most people attending the ED isn’t their first choice of service. It is also especially difficult when you have a chronic condition and know what has worked best for you in the past. The doctors in the ED may also be concerned they are not going to be able to meet your needs, as they often specialise in different areas of care. I think working with your specialist to have a care plan that articulates what is most effective for you in times of flare ups would certainly be very useful. Doctors such as yours, taking this collaborative approach to work with primary care providers. such as GPs, and when necessary ED doctors is wonderful.

I wondered if there is any opportunity for the use of telehealth for ongoing appointments with your specialist, as this has been something we have seen great success within a lot of specialty areas. If there is a need for a health professional to be with you, it can often be done with the practice nurse at a local GP or Outpatient Clinic. This may not be suitable, but I thought it worthy of suggesting.

I really hope your pain has now settled. If you would like me to look into the specifics of your experience, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on 08 9080 5817 or via email Alicia.Michalanney@health.wa.gov.au and I can arrange a review of your case. I believe there are always learnings and improvements to be made, especially in communication.

Kind regards,

Alicia

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