Why You Need to Be Honest with Your ER Doctor

Telling Your ER Doctor the Full Truth

The relationship between a physician and their patient (no matter how new or old) is extremely important — especially when you enter an emergency room. Whether due to shock, anxiety, embarrassment, or fear, some patients are simply not honest with their ER doctor.

But why is this the case? Unfortunately, that understanding is not always clear. Keep reading to learn why being honest with your doctor can be vital — and could even save your life.

Obtaining Immediate Medical Care

The fact is that emergency rooms are extremely busy, especially on the weekends when more than health-related emergencies enter the clinic. This is why emergency room staff will work with a doctor to see who is at immediate risk and thus needs to be taken care of first.

Because people don't want to feel like a burden, the natural action of a person is to diminish the severity of their symptoms. This can lead the ER doctor to make the decision to place other people ahead of you. Although it is never a good idea to play off your symptoms to seem worse than they are, you need to be honest about the level of pain you are in.

Potentially Paying More

There's no doubt about it; going to a regular doctor's visit can be expensive, let alone visiting an emergency room. Because a high number of people are uninsured, this often leads to people not being honest with their ER doctor about their need for care. The reality is that an ER is going to provide you with medical assistance, whether you have insurance or not. You will then be liable for the bill after you leave the hospital.

Handling Medical Bills

For many already struggling financially, this can be extremely devastating. This is why patients may downplay their pain and medical history as a means of attempting to lower that bill. However, not being straightforward with what you need often leads to further ER visits that increase medical bills. In addition, most people don't know that there are programs that can help a person without insurance pay for their medical bills.

Hiding Your Condition Out of Fear

No matter how embarrassing your injury or health condition seems to you, we can bet that a doctor has dealt with it hundreds of times before. In some cases, a person may have taken an illegal substance which their body is now not accepting, and thus issues such as extreme pain and vomiting may occur.

Fearing that they are going to be sent to jail or that the doctor is going to tell their family, they may not be forthcoming with the type of drug they have taken. This can be extremely dangerous as ER doctors and medical staff need to know what they are working with to provide the best possible solution.

Staying On Top of Your Preventative Care Routine

Despite the spike in COVID-19 cases across Texas, it’s important to remember routine checkups and health screenings are an essential part of your health. Cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases require regular visits to a health facility depending on your condition's nature.

Additionally, some patients make an annual visit to their doctor as a preventative measure. Keeping up with your physical health can help prevent a medical emergency.

Freestanding Emergency Room in Dallas

Day or night, the staff at Advance ER is standing by to provide the highest quality emergency medical care. We have the same services found in hospital emergency rooms and meet or exceed all emergency room requirements.