June 4th, 2019
Dr. Graham came back from the annual ASCO (American Society of Cancer Organization) in Chicago, so I shadowed him throughout the day. I learned a lot from Dr. Graham today, so I’m going to share some of this knowledge. In the morning, around 9:30, Dr. Graham received a call from one of his patients currently undergoing chemo and radiation. She called to inform him that her temperature was 100.4 °F. The patient is more susceptible to illnesses because this regiment reduces her white blood cell count in half, and her current temperature can dramatically increase to 104 °F in less than an hour. Dr. Graham pondered about her situation and told her to come to his clinic instead of going to the ER. Despite his packed schedule, he told her he’ll be able to accommodate her in his day. Dr. Graham hung up the phone and explained me that because her health records were fine and she just had a mild fever that he saved her from paying $3,000 – $5,000 for an ER visit compared to $150 – $200 for a clinical visit. In these types of scenarios, you have to consider the severity of the patient’s situation and more importantly the cost of going to the ER vs. going to the clinic. Had the patient’s situation been much worse, Dr. Graham would have advised her to go to the ER, no questions asked.
