Why does American society view adult patients as much less important than child patients? (health care, marijuana)

[Newbe10]

Don't get me wrong, I think that kids that are sick should get the best quality care available. Heck, I even donate (when I have the money) to St. Jude's Research Hospital, but what I have noticed in society the past few decades is when it comes to health, adult patients seem to matter less in the medical community than child patients.

For example, my father, who was age 52 and dying of liver cancer 2 years ago was treated like crap by the female nurse that was in charge of seeing him and recommending his medication. My dad wanted a medication that would have not made him feel any worse than he was already feeling and all she did was argue and belittle him for his request. She made me want to slap the you know what out of her.

Anyway, from what I have seen, society (more specifically the health care industry) cares about a person as long as he or she is a child but once you become an adult, you simply become an "inconvenience" on the doctors and nurses that see you.

As far as I am concerned, adult patients are just as important as child patients and it is about time that the medical community started treating adult patients with more respect and care.

[old_cold]

Generally speaking, people are more inclined to be patient with children since they have less education, understanding, experience and maturity ( supposedly)
However, a story such as the example you gave means less than nothing since it was one nurse, one time and as for the rest of 'what you've seen' I will say that I'm sorry that's been your experience but generally speaking, it hasn't been my rather extensive experience that being treated like an inconvenience is a common thing.

I won't say I haven't run into doctors and nurses that I think should go work dealing with paperwork in a windowless room in a basement but that's not just confined to the medical profession.

[Larkspur123]

I'd have to have more specific information before agreeing with the premise of the thread.

I've got kids....I don't think their care is worse or better than what adults get.

One glaring difference is that kids have medical decisions made for them by others...most of the time I think they are made in their best interest but sometimes not.

[jzeig104]

When providers are incompetent or rude, the best thing we can do as patients is to leave them for another provider. Not sure if feedback is taken seriously by these people, but I usually give feedback if I feel their services are poor.

I realize that in some places, providers are few and far between. That makes it more difficult. But the only way some of these people are going to learn is through their pocketbooks.

[PAhippo]

I don't notice a difference between the attitude towards children vs adults when it comes to medical care.


When you see a medical professional acting disrespectful to a patient, confront them. If they continue, report them, preferably in writing.

Trust me, you will be listened to and the employee will be confronted. Not saying patients will always get the meds they want. That's actually up to the dr. But they should always get respect.

[Newbe10]

Originally Posted by old_cold

Generally speaking, people are more inclined to be patient with children since they have less education, understanding, experience and maturity ( supposedly)
However, a story such as the example you gave means less than nothing since it was one nurse, one time and as for the rest of 'what you've seen' I will say that I'm sorry that's been your experience but generally speaking, it hasn't been my rather extensive experience that being treated like an inconvenience is a common thing.

I won't say I haven't run into doctors and nurses that I think should go work dealing with paperwork in a windowless room in a basement but that's not just confined to the medical profession.

Excuse me buddy, but 'IT DID' mean something to me and everyone in my family and the friends of my father.

By the way, I am not 'basing my views of the healthcare industry just on this one nurse.' It was just meant to be an example of the type of rudeness that I was talking about. I have experienced it myself on numerous occasions (especially with doctors in the VA hospitals in the area where I live and at the local ER's) and have many friends and acquaintances that have experienced their fair share of rude doctors, nurses, assistants, ect.

I am not saying that all doctors and others who work in the healthcare industry are rude, uncaring individuals, (in fact I have come across some that where very friendly and caring) but too many of them these days seem to be. Out of all of my friends and family that have kids, I haven't heard a single complaint from any of them regarding any rudeness or uncaring attitude towards their kids by any doctor, nurse, assistant, ect. The complaints where only concerning myself, members of my family, or friends who had to go to the hospital or doctors office for whatever reason.

Also, I have overheard many young women at the college that I am currently attending who where studying to go into the medical field in various positions talk about how they "just can't stand being around adult patients" and only want to be in positions that allow them to work with children. Again, I do agree that children should receive the best care and treatment possible, but adults should be treated with the same level of care, period.

[No_Recess]

It's a for-profit, heavily regulated, extremely bureaucratic industry where people work long hours.

Be grateful you weren't killed on the spot and made it out alive.

[jburress]

Why does American society view adult patients as much less important than child patients?

I wonder the same thing.

In PA, the governor recently said he is "open" to allow children that suffer from hundreds of seizures a day access to medical marijuana.

In the same breath he said that there would be no way he would ever allow adults who suffer to receive relief through medical marijuana.

[ChrisC]

Because we are a culture of youth.

The older you get, the more you are marginalized. By the time you are elderly, you are warehoused until you expire. If a hospital staff can prevent that warehousing by facilitating your expiration at a younger age (yet old enough to be useless in a culture of eternal youth), so much the better. One less soon-to-be dinosaur draining resources that are better used by the young.

[katzpaw]

It's the same reason 'save the children' and other charities only show kids and not their parents or other people in the community. Their ads show whole villages populated only by children.