General Medicine

» redback - Can't afford to get sick

If I have confidence that my doctor correctly treated me, I'm satisfied...as distinct from actually being correctly treated. If I can access great care in my home town, who cares what the national debt is?

Here's a WHO report re the 37th ranking:

http://www.photius.com/rankings/who_worl...

Strategic reports need careful analysis for the benefit it brings an individual. It ranks France No: 1 overall but the USA was best in "responsiveness". It is now dated...some 7 years old.

And migrating to "friendly" France is so not a choice for me.

-- posted by redback

» Jennifer Gerics - Can't afford to get sick

Hi Redback---

Gotta read the link you provided. It's funny that the US is ranked highest for responsiveness. Probably to make a buck! Capitalism is good and bad. I will admit that in the US, I feel comfortable that in an emergency, I would be seen relatively quickly. Because the US health industry is driven by dollars, I don't have to worry about outdated equipment, lack of doctors, or poor response time (at least in my area, which is middle class.) But I do pay a lot for this luxury, and I feel terrible for the legions of folks who cannot afford insurance. Let me read this link and report back, because I was on vacatation this week and am sadly behind!

» redback - Can't afford to grumble?

Health Section discussions are closed. Articles are not providing a hotlink to initiate any discussion of the article but some crazy method of 'subscribing to the article' which I haven't done as I don't know it will lead to any discussion and is not a seamless access to suite101. Apart from that, an increasing archival of topics due to lack of feature writer.

The above and more pressing personal issues explain my belated return here.

These sorts of 'surveys' worry me as much is lost in translation and methodology is rarely transparent. The USA being highest in responsiveness may be a quantity over quality issue. We're healthier(?) in OZ so getting to a doctor is less compelling?

I read somewhere that Sicko refers to a guy who had to decide which finger of 2 he wanted to save through surgery due to his inability to afford surgery on the two fingers. Responsiveness is not a stand alone performance indicator!!!

Don't apologise for being on holidays. I hope you enjoyed yourself!!!

-- posted by redback

» redback - Can't afford to grumble?

Beth Lane's recent article on ADHD without an article linked discussion facility is a symptom of the sicko within suite101. And even the article looks to the perceptions that create a climate conducive to the very sicko environment Michael Moore talks about. Some things won't happen if we don't let them happen, right?

I was only reminded of that today. As a JP, I'm recquired to act "without fear or favour" yet chickened out in reporting very risky driving behaviour. Safer to whinge among ourselves?

-- posted by redback

» Jennifer Gerics - Can't afford to grumble?

What is a JP? Probably something obvious, but it's early and I'm just starting my cup of coffee!

If Beth Lane is a contributing writer, I don't think she has discussion links on her articles. Just feature writers. The turnover at Suite101, at least in terms of the health section, is phenomenal! Two other writers and myself are the only original writers since Suite101 started paying its staff early in 2006. There is another woman who is very consistent (Pregnancy & Childbirth), although she started several months later. And one other woman who started after her. 5 feature writers, and at least 14 unmanned topics. I feel like a fossil here!

» redback - Can't afford to grumble?

A JP is a Justice of the Peace. Our voluntary role is getting limited nowadays, more so since I retired. Then, I was akin to a special magistrate. We witness documents, swear oaths (affidavits) and statutory declarations etc. On commissioned appointment, ew swear an oath to "do right...". Of course, we need to have passed criminal and bankruptcy etc checks. What happens over there?

"I feel like a fossil here!"

Well, I've been an ordinary member here since 2000. Maybe, I'm the fossil you only feel like. ABC

BTW: 'Sicko' has arrived here and is being billed as "hilarious" and given a rating of 9 out of 10.

-- posted by redback

» Jennifer Gerics - Can't afford to grumble?

I guess a person can be married by a priest, a rabbi, a minister, or a justice of the peace. Probably other officials as well. The lady who married my husband and me on our cruise out of Manhattan was a justice of the peace, I believe.

» redback - Can't afford to grumble?

Here, a justice of the peace needs to be also a legally registered civil 'marriage celebrant' to perform weddings etc. I'm not a celebrant nor an ordained minister able to perform 'non-civil' weddings. My JP work spans the last 27 years. I started off as a special magistrate taking evidence on oath, cross examining and making decisions. Nowadays, it's more mundane simply helping people with legal documents.

I married in the quaint little Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross where we had to wait for the prior wedding crowd to disperse...and we had another crowd on exit from the chapel waiting to enter. Our wedding photos had quite a number from the wrong crowd.

-- posted by redback

» Jennifer Gerics - Can't afford to grumble?

That's funny! Our ceremony was very small (2 sets of parents, a brother and spouse, and us) and we boarded the ship before the other passengers, but when we went to get pictures done, people were boarding and congratulating us. It was very small, casual (the bride and groom both wore pants), and fun. We had a little brunch afterwards, then threw the guests off the ship and set sail to Bermuda!

» redback - Can't afford to grumble?

Way back, Bermuda was out of the question. My wife's mum thought Florida, USA was a good place whereas our budget only stretched to the local Florida Motor Inn up in our Central coast.

I compromised and we ended up in Happy Bay off the Queensland tropical coast...in among the honeymoon islands and truly far better golden sands etc than overseas. We'd had a left over turkey from the reception which we munched on board the plane. A massive turkey leg vs plane fare...no contest.

-- posted by redback