Leong: Well being care would not solely value cash, it prices time

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Albertans have lengthy contended with queues in well being care, with delays in medical testing and diagnostics making the information lately alongside the entire Dynalife fiasco.

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Now think about having to attend … for the chance to attend.

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That’s primarily what occurred as I helped to rearrange medical imaging for a member of the family 4 provinces away.

Having adopted the information from Quebec, I knew the required scan can be occurring a lot later than tomorrow. What I wasn’t ready for was the delay to even get issues going.

I referred to as very first thing within the morning at some point. Earlier than lunch on one other. After lunch, too.

Regardless of: excessive name volumes meant the entire hospital’s brokers have been busy. Dangle up and name once more later, the recorded voice mentioned, so I did.

The fourth time, I used to be let into the queue. I attempted my finest to take care of my name precedence however I hung up after 45 minutes because of work commitments.

On the fifth name, the queue accepted me as soon as extra. I stayed on the road this time, with repetitive maintain music offering a forgettable audio backdrop to my skilled obligations.

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Some 65 minutes later, I received to talk with an actual reside human being.

The particular person on the cellphone was clearly doing their finest underneath making an attempt circumstances. It’s clearly not their fault the system isn’t in tip-top form.

Anyway, it didn’t take too lengthy to rearrange what was wanted. Phew.

Preliminary reduction was adopted by concern, when it occurred to me how privileged I used to be to have been capable of do any of this.

System could make it tough for some Canadians to assist handle their very own well being care

The late Ian Robinson, a much-loved copy editor and columnist on the Calgary Solar, as soon as described us as “indoor cats,” as we editor sorts are primarily tethered to our desks.

It was purely luck that allowed me to remotely assist my relative navigate a health-care maze as a result of I occurred to have work that wouldn’t be fully derailed by spending nearly two hours on maintain on the cellphone.

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There are a lot of jobs the place it could have been inconceivable to work whereas becoming a member of a phone queue to rearrange for health-care providers.

And if you wish to care for issues after work, neglect it: this specific hospital’s appointment desk is open solely throughout workplace hours.

We wish folks to take part within the administration of their very own well being, but the health-care system can typically look like it’s doing its finest to make this inconceivable.

When you can’t even have your cellphone name answered in a well timed method to schedule important, routine diagnostics that ought to have already got been taken care of when a medical skilled beforehand requested them, that might result in future bother.

Possibly a health care provider’s time might be wasted by having a follow-up go to with none take a look at outcomes to debate, or maybe a affected person received’t have a significant issue recognized and handled.

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We have to get a greater sense of what number of Canadians are having bother accessing well being care — not as a result of they will’t afford it, or as a result of they reside too far-off from the place providers are supplied, however as a result of they’ve nobody to advocate for them or they don’t have the time or potential to leap via the hoops that enable them to enter the proverbial entrance door.

We fear rather a lot about two-tier drugs when it comes to out-of-pocket prices.

We have to fear simply as a lot about two-tier drugs when it comes to how a lot time sufferers and their households must spend to rearrange their very own care. Whereas many people can afford the time, a few of us may not.

Between antiquated techniques, bureaucratic nonsense and plain outdated understaffing, I worry there are literally thousands of individuals who want medical care or investigation however don’t have any selection however to permit themselves to slide via the cracks.

The combat to protect common health-care providers might be meaningless except Canadians are additionally assured common entry.

rleong@postmedia.com

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