Dear Editor
In reference to “Still Suffering” (Regional Optimist, Dec. 29), undiagnosed abdominal pain among women living in this area seems here seems to be an endemic. Ms. Laing’s letter last week appears to be the tip of the iceberg.
I, and other women I know, are using the emergency room at the Battlefords Union Hospital to manage abdominal pain that remains undiagnosed, despite our complaints to our family physicians, urgent care workers and specialists.
Part of the problem may be the lack of follow up for screening (ultrasound, MRI and CT scan), physicians not able to communicate with each other, loss of scans, lack of follow up using electronic health records or physicians not able to agree on diagnosis or on further diagnostic scans. Contributing factors may be gender based and reflect gender bias.
Emergency room services are expensive. Using these services to manage undiagnosed abdominal pain is a large financial hit to our health-care system.
Women should not be having to resort to emergency physician administered morphine. Evidence-based health care should diagnose and treat the cause of severe pain in order to improve the lives of women who are living with chronic, debilitating abdominal pain.
Perhaps a move in the right direction is the involvement of the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council or other agencies whose mandate is to prevent these debilitating conditions which strain our health-care system.
K. Paul
North Battleford
