An immediate family member in her early 30s had a prolonged and serious digestive illness last…read moremonth that eventually required a colonoscopy to determine if she has IBS / IBD or other digestive issues / diseases like Crohn's, celiac disease, gluten allergies. To get into see a GI doctor, it took TWO weeks (and that was because another patient happened to cancel), meanwhile she is having major digestive issues and cannot go to work or even leave the house. This is the "great" American healthcare system as portrayed by Advocate Dreyer.
Eventually, she was able to get in at Copley and seen by the GI doctor who was thorough in taking notes on symptoms, decided to test for several things, (prescribed medicine that doesn't seem to help much, however), and scheduled the colonoscopy for the end of the week at Sequoia. (That was fairly prompt scheduling, I admit, but truly, the ONLY efficient thing to happen in two months.)
Yet, as of today, she is almost TWO WEEKS waiting for the results of the colonoscopy, when she told her she'd have the results within five days of that procedure. She is feeling somewhat better, yet still combating GI problems in her daily routine, losing weigh, not able to fully return to work, even while following a strict BRAT diet. The office reply has been "we are waiting for the results; the biopsies were sent way for testing." She continues to call and/or MyChart every day and has yet to hear directly from the doctor or a department nurse. No accountability from the GI office. This non-communicative and sluggish pace is unacceptable, and can be an earth-shattering domino effect for someone who has to work to pay the bills (doesn't have much savings or a partner to rely on financially) and needs to work to keep insurance, yet is struggling to keep their body functioning in daily life.
Advocate Dreyer, like many corporate machines, seems to be ingrained in the problematic and unethical "for profit" way to treat. The lack of accountability for post-visit communication and/or ability to get an appointment to see a specialist is HORRIBLE. Patients have to be their own "advocates" in this monetizing, overworked, substandard system. There are many hard working, smart nurses, doctors, and staff members at Dreyer, I am sure, but a for-profit system really only works for those at the very top, not the actual patient who desperately needs to be seen and treated, and not for the overworked nurses, doctors, employees.