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Flu season leads to long wait times for patients

Video Credit: 41 Action News - Duration: 02:31s - Published
Flu season leads to long wait times for patients

Flu season leads to long wait times for patients

An increase in illnesses in the Kansas City area could mean longer wait times in doctor's offices for some patients.

However, technology is allowing people to skip the line.

BUT FIRST TONIGHT - THISFLU SEASON IS TAKING AMAJOR TOLL.THOSE SEEKING RELIEFARE OFTEN MET WITHLONG WAITS AT DOCTORSOFFICES AND CLINICS.BUT THERE IS A WAY TOSKIP THE WAIT...41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER MCKENZIENELSON JOINS US LIVE TOEXPLAIN.DOCTORS AT SAINT LUKE'SSAY THIS IS ONE OF THEBUSIEST FLU SEASONSTHEY'VE SEEN IN AWHILE --AND PATIENTS ARE FILLINGUP HOSPITALS -EMERGENCY ROOMS ANDURGENT CARES WAITINGTO BE SEEN.MARY CECENA - PATIENT"Well, I have this bad coughand ordinarily I would just rideit out."MARY CECENA WAS JUSTONE PATIENT SITTING IN ASAINT LUKE'S WAITINGROOM --HOPING FOR A DIAGNOSISOTHER THAN THE FLU.CECENA"I've got 9 little grandkidsthatcome in and out of my houseand I don't need to be passingaround those kind of germs tothose little ones."DOCTORS SAY THIS FLUSEASON HAS BEEN WORSETHAN OTHERS -AND IS FILLING UP WAITINGROOMS ACROSS THEMETRO.JESSICA PEPPER -AREAMANAGER, SAINT LUKESCOMMUNITY CARE CLINICS"We're seeing large numbersof patients, the flu season hasreally hit hard in thecommunity."PATIENTS LIKE CECENAGOT IN AND OUT -- INUNDER AN HOUR.BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ONTHE LOCATION -- AND THETIME OF DAY.PEPPER"Sometimes there could be upto 90 minutes to longerdepending on how manypeople are waiting to be seenalready."TO AVOID LONG WAITTIMES SAINT LUKES ISTURNING TO TECHNOLOGY.DR. MARSHA WEAVER - SAINTLUKE'S"We have an app called SaintLukes 24/7 which allows youto have access from yourcouch, from the airport, fromyour work if you can't get awaythat day."THE APP IS MORE FORMILD CASES --BUT IF YOU THINK YOUHAVE THE FLU -- DOCTORWEAVER SAYS YOU CANSTILL USE IT.WEAVER"If you come into the office, weare able to perform a nasalswab and come up with adifinitive diagnosis but oftentimes it's the clinicalsymptoms that will lead us totreatment."AND IF YOU WANT TO FEELBETTER SOONER RATHERTHAN LATER --PAY ATTENTION TO YOURSYMPTOMS.PEPPER"There is medication for thatand it has to be given withinthe first 48 hours so if you'reworried about the flu you wantto be seen quickly and getstarted on that medicine."IF YOU HAVE THE FLU ORHAVE BEEN SICK -DOCTORS SAY THEY WANTYOU FEVER FREE FOR 48HOURS BEFORE GOINGBACK TO WORK ORSCHOOL.IT'S ALSO NOT TOO LATETO GET YOUR FLU SHOT --DOCTORS SAY IT COULDBE STICKING AROUNDTHROUGH APRIL.MCKENZIE NELSON, 41ACTION NEWS.FLU ACTIVITY REMAINSHIGH IN KANSAS ANDMISSOURI.BUT C-D-C LEADERS SAYTHE FLU VACCINE ISPROVIDING A QUOTE"SUBSTANTIALPROTECTIVE BENEFIT" SOFAR THIS FLU SEASON.THE AGENCY ESTIMATESTHE SHOT HAS BEEN 45-PERCENT EFFECTIVEOVERALL - MEANING IT'SREDUCED FLU-RELATEDDOCTOR VISITS BY ALMOS




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