Patients misdiagnosed, sent home from ER a problem in Lower Mainland hospitals: advocate

iVANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – After a man having chest pains was sent home from St. Paul’s Hospital, a Vancouver-based patient advocate says this isn’t an isolated case.

Others have similar stories about being sent home only to go back hours later, or get better treatment at another hospital, according to Connie Jorsvik, who runs Vancouver’s Patient Pathways.

She says patients need to stand up for themselves when they head to the emergency room with serious symptoms.

“So that somebody takes you seriously. What it takes is an assertive squeaky wheel to say, ‘This is not okay. I know I don’t feel right. I know that there’s a problem here. This is not usual for me,” she says.

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That’s because she says many clients are misdiagnosed during an emergency room visit.

“Hip fractures without X-rays. Severe headaches without CT scans or MRI’s being done. Chest pains misdiagnosis is a common issue.”

She says women with heart disease often don’t get taken seriously.

“They are sent home at an alarming rate. It’s a complex problem when cardiac patients are mixed in with the general population. That is more of a recipe for misdiagnosis.”

Jorsvik adds anyone who thinks they are having a heart attack is better off calling 911. Paramedics have reminded people to only call 911 in serious cases.

Anyone who is still not feeling well after getting home from a hospital visit should go back to the ER.

Patient complaints investigated: B.C. Minister of Health

Health Minister Adrian Dix says every patient complaint is thoroughly investigated, so any concerns raised about staff at St. Paul’s hospital will be properly addressed.

“I’m very proud of St. Paul’s hospital. I understand that sometimes, individually, mistakes can be made and we’ve got to learn from them and I know St. Paul’s is committed to doing that and they will in this and any other cases that are brought to our attention.”

He admits challenges faced by every primary care facility in the province include staffing and bed shortages which create backlogs in emergency rooms.

– With files from Liza Yuzda

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