Bumrumgrad's mandatory oral fever test

[needadvice1]

I went to Bumrungrad yesterday, where the nurse stuck an electronic fever test into my mouth and the only thing that she threw away afterwards was some something at it's tip.

I'm sure the machine is somehow sterilized with UV rays or whatever, however the off chance of catching oral gonorreaha and the like from all the sick people coming there doesn't appeal to me at all, when there was absolutely no indication why a fever test would be necessary.

[Sheryl]

It is routine not only at Bumrungrad but all hospitals to take vital signs on patients before they are seen by a doctor. Standard procedure. It is relevant fopr the doctor to know whether or not patients consulting him have a fever, or ab ormal pulse or abnormal blood pressure.

The thermometers are covered by disposable sheaths and are perfectly safe.

[h90]

It is routine not only at Bumrungrad but all hospitals to take vital signs on patients before they are seen by a doctor. Standard procedure. It is relevant fopr the doctor to know whether or not patients consulting him have a fever, or ab ormal pulse or abnormal blood pressure.

The thermometers are covered by disposable sheaths and are perfectly safe.

aren't there simpler/faster tests (like in the ear)?

While no danger, I don't like to put something into my mouth for no reason.

[AyG]

It is routine not only at Bumrungrad but all hospitals to take vital signs on patients before they are seen by a doctor. Standard procedure. It is relevant for the doctor to know whether or not patients consulting him have a fever, or ab ormal pulse or abnormal blood pressure.

It is standard procedure (at least in private hospitals here), but I'd assumed that the main aim was to boost hospital profits.

For various reasons I've visited the same hospital six times in the last 4 weeks. Each time they've weighed me, calculated my BMI, taken my blood pressure (which is always spuriously high following driving there and the nightmare of finding a parking space) and stuck a thermometer in my ear. At 150 Baht/visit that's 900 Baht they've extracted from me pretty pointlessly. My weight isn't going to vary greatly over 4 weeks, or my blood pressure. And having a fever is completely irrelevant to my current medical issues.

[h90]

It is routine not only at Bumrungrad but all hospitals to take vital signs on patients before they are seen by a doctor. Standard procedure. It is relevant for the doctor to know whether or not patients consulting him have a fever, or ab ormal pulse or abnormal blood pressure.

It is standard procedure (at least in private hospitals here), but I'd assumed that the main aim was to boost hospital profits.

For various reasons I've visited the same hospital six times in the last 4 weeks. Each time they've weighed me, calculated my BMI, taken my blood pressure (which is always spuriously high following driving there and the nightmare of finding a parking space) and stuck a thermometer in my ear. At 150 Baht/visit that's 900 Baht they've extracted from me pretty pointlessly. My weight isn't going to vary greatly over 4 weeks, or my blood pressure. And having a fever is completely irrelevant to my current medical issues.

yeah...I recall, that I had to clean my ear and they took my height, blood pressure and weight. Which is only money making....

[AyG]

yeah...I recall, that I had to clean my ear and they took my height, blood pressure and weight. Which is only money making....

They took your height? You're obviously getting the VIP treatment. For me this morning the nurse just asked how tall I was, telling me I had to reply in centimetres. None of that feet and inches nonsense.

[Sheryl]

It is a common misunderstanding that the "nursing fee" tacked onto hospital bills is a fee for having your vital signs taken.

It is not, and the charge will be there regardless of whether or not this is done.

It is a hospital charge, something hospitals tack onto OPD visits (the consultation fee going entirely to the doctor). Remember that the word for hospital and nurse are the same in Thai.

The taking of vital signs is standard practice worldwide, so that any abnormalities can be flagged and brought to the doctor's attention, and also so that they have a baseline in case anything untoward should happen to you while you are there.

[h90]

It is a common misunderstanding that the "nursing fee" tacked onto hospital bills is a fee for having your vital signs taken.

It is not, and the charge will be there regardless of whether or not this is done.

It is a hospital charge, something hospitals tack onto OPD visits (the consultation fee going entirely to the doctor). Remember that the word for hospital and nurse are the same in Thai.

The taking of vital signs is standard practice worldwide, so that any abnormalities can be flagged and brought to the doctor's attention, and also so that they have a baseline in case anything untoward should happen to you while you are there.

No it is not standard practice worldwide. In Austria and that is middle of Europe it is not done in hospitals. At least not 2-3 years ago.

[Aussieroaming]

Hmmmm middle Europe must be stuck in the Middle Ages me thinks.

Taking medical stats is mandatory in Australia, but that is a progressive modern new world country

[h90]

Hmmmm middle Europe must be stuck in the Middle Ages me thinks.

Taking medical stats is mandatory in Australia, but that is a progressive modern new world country

If you have problem in your ear, your weight, height and blood pressure is complete irrelevant as long it is not visible extreme. It is not progressive to waste time with irrelevant things.

[Robby nz]

It is a common misunderstanding that the "nursing fee" tacked onto hospital bills is a fee for having your vital signs taken.

It is not, and the charge will be there regardless of whether or not this is done.

It is a hospital charge, something hospitals tack onto OPD visits (the consultation fee going entirely to the doctor). Remember that the word for hospital and nurse are the same in Thai.

The taking of vital signs is standard practice worldwide, so that any abnormalities can be flagged and brought to the doctor's attention, and also so that they have a baseline in case anything untoward should happen to you while you are there.

OK Sheryl, you are normally correct but in this instance not so.

Only private hospitals charge this fee, in most public and army hospitals I have been in pulse and BP is self done with the usual machine which either prints out a card or you write down the numbers then present the paper to either the doctor or registration nurse.

For those who are for some reason are unable to use the machine provided, a nurse will come along with either a portable machine or the old fashioned sphyg, still no charge.

Hospital and nurse are not the same in Thai, nurse is naang- pa-yaa-baan usually shortened to pa-yaa-baan.

While hospital is roong-pa-yaa-baan never shortened.

No that's not nit picking in Thai it is a big difference.

True it is standard practice, not only for while a patient is there but it is entered into the patients records so on any subsequent visits any changes can be noted.

Keep up the good work Sheryl you are much appreciated on here and a great help to many.

[AyG]

Hospital and nurse are not the same in Thai, nurse is naang- pa-yaa-baan usually shortened to pa-yaa-baan.

While hospital is roong-pa-yaa-baan never shortened.

Not quite. Nurse is pháˑ​yaaˑ​baan. Naaŋ indicates that it's a female nurse. A specifically male nurse would be naayˑ​pháˑ​yaaˑ​baan.

Hospital is rooŋˑ​pháˑ​yaaˑ​baan meaning "building with nurses".

[Sheryl]

Yes, and it is not uncommon when using it as an adjective (as in "fee of") to just say pay-a-bon meaning of either hospital or nurses.

And yes, of course, this fee system is only in private hospitals, private hospitals being what is under discussion. It appears on the bill under various names depending on the hospital, "nursing fee" being one of them, but it is not a charge for having had your vital signs taken. It is a fee collected by the hospital, they started doing this some years back, first in the more expensive hospitals but it seems now to have spread to virtually all private hospitals.

[h90]

yeah...I recall, that I had to clean my ear and they took my height, blood pressure and weight. Which is only money making....

They took your height? You're obviously getting the VIP treatment. For me this morning the nurse just asked how tall I was, telling me I had to reply in centimetres. None of that feet and inches nonsense.

It was another hospital...but everything else the same....St. Louis (spelling).

[Kitsune]

I would be more worried about blood transfusions, given that "Thai people don't contract Lyme disease", no check is done regarding donating blood. For example I am one of the few people who knows I have it, but I can donate blood, no problem.