Patient Care in California

[Debb]

I live in California.  I want to know more about the patient care in California (the good and bad).  I am a volunteer who is interested in a story about this.  I have read many articles but really want to hear from patients.  I am  looking for honesty and candor about the care or lack of it from a patient perspective.  I would like to hear from anyone who wants to share.

DEBB

[livecam]

You're asking a very broad question Debb.  I would imagine we extend from the worst to the best in terms of quality here in California.  One can also experience extremes within the same medical organization.  Alot depends on the individual providers ie. the physician, his support staff, the corporate bean counters etc.  I've experienced the most thorough thoughtful care and also minimal assembly line care all from the same organization and often under the same roof.  I speak from the perspective of a current transplant and former dialysis patient.  We're living in a medical world that utilizes a hodgepodge of standards, theories, practices, and people.  It's probably no different in California than anywhere else in the country.

[Sunny]

A very broad question indeed! I live in Northern California and have HMO coverage through my husband's work. I have had very good care through my HMO providers (Blue Shield).
I can't complain about my General Practitioner or my Nephrologist. Stanford has also taken good care of me as this is where I am on the waiting list. However, my GP has informed me
NEVER lose my health insurance because standards of care could change.

[Gramapat]

I agree - broad question!  I have a large HMO = Kaiser.  I'm sure a lot of people have heard many horror stories about Kaiser.  I always swore I would never use Kaiser but..............  Well, I have not had one bad experience in the 4 years I have been on Kaiser.  I have had excellent care from very good doctors.  My hospital experiences have been no better and no worse than when I had private insurance.

What kinds of experiences are you looking for exactly?

[boxman55]

You should PM Rerun she might have a story or two...Boxman

[Debb]

Well, this is the type of exchange I really appreciate.  I left my question broad because I honestly don't want anyone to be limited on speaking about what their experience is when it comes to patient care.  Take me on a journey from the first day you walked into the care center and paint a picture for me on what your experience has been like.  Don't think about it too much, just share with me what comes to mind. What gave you hope?  What frustrated you?  What forms did you need to complete? Are the clinicians responsive to your needs or not?  How has care improved or not?   From the day you walked in the door what gave you hope?  What frustrated you?   If you could change things to make things better (assuming you believe there is room for change) what suggestions do you have?

I am not a dialysis patient.  I have stage two hypertension and border line for diabetes.  I have concerns overall about the state of our healthcare system.  I live in California.  This dialysis industry always seems to be at the forefront.  I see a lot of data being collected and researched but what concerns me most is how is the data being collected benefiting or not benefiting the patient?

Thank you all for sharing.