The last email he had from her was very curt to tell him his test result for bacterial e-coli is still positive (as a reminder it’s the drug resistant type). If the next swab is positive it means he won’t be admitted to the outpatient clinic in August. He also needs to go back this week to have the nasal and throat swab done for this as the doctor didn’t order it so they couldn’t do it when he went last week. When they did it on his admission in March it was negative so fingers crossed on that one.
Ridiculous thing is his recuperation programme includes a number of recommended physios and therapists he’s booked appointments with so he’s going for medical gym, physio and ergotherapy sessions 3 or 4 times a week for his shoulder arm and hand, but that’s ok because it’s not being done at the hospital.
As bad as it seems, it might not be unreasonable. The rudeness is unwarranted, but the underlying message may be appropriate. The hospital is a permanent state of chaos. Accidents keep happening and more people with urgent issues arrives. It seems the worst is behind for him, so not a bad idea to talk to the family doctor.
For the family doc, it’s worth to summarize the story in literal bullet points and max 5 mins, ideally 3 mins. Any longer and it’s a risk to lose the doc’s attention. They’re human too. If the doc is interested in some detail he’ll ask, but wait for the questions before going into the details.
It’s scary worrying to use these words, but either the patient of the family close by are the project managers that know the whole story and actually care about the outcome. Docs come and go as freelancers at different stages. They are extremely helpful at their specialty job, but not much as caring for the whole project AKA the person. Emotional detachment is a tool docs use to endure their jobs, if they actually cared, they’d get a burnout quick, really quick. Discussing with the family doctor may help to clarify a lot of stuff, find boundaries, what to do, etc.
I’ve helped family members along illness and accidents. Last year I supported a loved one during hip joint replacement. Anecdote time: I started noticing the doc starting to roll the eyes up during a post-surgery check. I had to intervene: “this doc is the team leader in a team that replaces hip joints, we can ask someone else about how to change the patch covering the incision and the staples”. Doc smiled politely and thanked me hahaha
I’m actually surprised that the Dr will communicate with you by email at all. They should have been sending regular updates to his GP, so visit them and ask them to help guide him through everything that is needed.
The patients who have urgent issues are treated in the first ward he was on (SAP) which has a small number of rooms to a large number of specialist staff and therapists ratio. There is also a ward that has coma patients.
Once you no longer need the level of care on the SAP ward you move up to one of another 2, one of those is mainly stroke patients (coma ward is the third one).
The one he was moved to was a mix of people who were transferred to this hospital as the result of accidents. The final ward is a series of small studio apartments where patients mainly look after themselves whilst being assessed for how they are generally coping with everyday things, phased return to work etc. He was on the list to move up there but there’s a waiting list and no spaces available. His psychologist was trying to get him made a priority as she felt he would benefit from it.
One of the men on his ward was discharged because his health insurers said they would no longer cover the cost of his stay there, it’s a very expensive environment I assume because of the rehab expertise and the pukka facilities (the building and grounds were designed by Herzog de Meuron). For that I am very grateful, the care and attention he had from the therapists assigned to him was second to none, the same can be said for the 2 doctors on the SAP ward.
I see a specialist in womens health, gynaecology and pregnancy twice a year, she communicates via email and phone when necessary, especially if she’s had blood tests done and wants to give me the results.
Every doctor in have seen in Basel in the past 10 years has given me a business card with their phone and email details, even the gynaecologist who did my hysterectomy 5 years ago; all have said I could contact them if I had any questions.
The doctors, social workers and the psychologist handling OHs case did the same, I have a collection of their business cards in amongst his papers.
If they don’t want you to contact them then why would they bother to give you a card?
I’ve never had a Doctor here give me a card with their email. I can’t even manage to get most Doctors receptionists to communicate by email. I wish they would because I absolutely hate making phone calls, especially in German. Bloody Vet won’t even email.
Yeah, I find it annoying too. I had trained the surgery’s reception to e-mail me and then they went and changed their policy that eveything pretty much has to be done by phone. Even if it’s just to renew a prescription using their form they rang me to check and find out which pharmacy to e-mail it to despite me asking them to e-mail me. That’s another thing that’s annoying because I like to have copies of our prescriptions so I know when they need renewing. Luckily - if I remember it at the time - I can get a copy from the pharmacy.
I think it’s because they don’t want to be held accountable. Much easier to say you didn’t say something in a phone call than an email where it’s permanent.
I think it has to do with ‘privacy’ and data protection concerns. They implemented this very very stupidly and had to deal with the fact that the system was fragmented in the first place.
Example being people were used to taking printed prescriptions to pharmacies - one signed hard copy only.
If they email you the presciption, they have no way to verify/confirm that you did not get it refilled at multiple pharmacies. Did I mention the on-line ones that are much more relaxed on country specific regulations?
Simply from my experience, my physio therapist can only see what the ‘doctor ordered’. Not why, etc. I only found this out after i confronted the therapist with ‘what are you treating me for, and why?’ only then did the therapist tell me that h./she does not have access to the medical records and he/she will contact the doctor('s office) and get the specifics so he/she knows details to make decision on treatment going forward.
regrettably, the system is still extermely compartmentalized. I have been forced to inquire with each ‘doctor/therapist’ as to 'what is going on? What do you know about why I’m in your office? How do you plan to address my healing? ’
Our doctor will email a prescription directly to the pharmacy of our choice but they won’t send it directly to the patient anymore.
The reason they gave was that people were changing things on the prescription before taking it to the pharmacy.
According to Article 26b of the Swiss Therapeutic Products Act (TPA/Heilmittelgesetz), a prescription is the legal property of the person for whom it was issued. [1]
Paper Prescriptions: You own the paper. If a pharmacy needs to keep it to track refills, they are supposed to log the dispensed medicine, stamp it, and give it back to you. If they must retain it for health insurance billing, you have a right to demand a physical copy or photo of it. [1, 2, 3]
I hope this is true
Edit: this what the act says
" The prescription shall become the property of the person for whom it was issued. The person should remain free to decide whether to receive the prescribed product or to obtain a second opinion and to determine with which authorised provider they want to redeem the prescription. In the case of electronic prescriptions, the choice of provider should not be restricted by technical obstacles.91"
OK, so he collected the official letter yesterday. Not a fine as expected but an invoice for 805.80 to be paid by 4th July.
It states the police decided it would be unfair to fine him as his level of injury meant they were not able to interview him.
It seems the first 605.80 is for coming to this decision, preparing and sending the letter and the other 200 is for closing the case.
So all in all it’s cost him about 17 or 1800f if you include the last bill and we still don’t know what happened. I think it would be better not to find out, just pay up and move on until we can get to a better place as we’re not there at the moment,
I also have 2 elder siblings back in Scotland with health issues at the moment, sister who’s 72 is having tests for a gut issue today (might be diverticulitis) and my 81 year old brother is having a tumour (hopefully benign) removed from his bladder this morning.
I dreamt about my mother last night, only ever happens when there are either health issues or a death about to occur in the family which is scary. She died suddenly when I was 19.
OH has an appointment at the rehab hospital tomorrow afternoon to discuss the results of his recent brain scan. The Consultant has said it’s ok for me to accompany him. OH translated the result so I’ll read it before we go in case I have questions.
Overall he’s doing well, he’s having physio/gym and ergotherapy as an out patient and is permitted to do extra gym sessions. He’s also booked some massage sessions for his left shoulder and arm at a pain clinic in Basel but is paying for those himself.
He’s seeing an ENT specialist a week on Tuesday for his left ear issue, it sounds like there’s still a fragment of something stuck in the eustachian tune and it keeps popping. Eyesight is getting better, but he can’t cope anywhere that has fluorescent lighting (some shops are a problem) so he bought some yellow tinted lenses to clip on to his glasses which seem to help with the glare. TV watching is getting better but his limit is 2 hours.
Thankfully the behavioural issues and mood swings seem to be getting left behind and I don’t feel as if I’m treading on eggshells as much now so life is a bit more peaceful.
