Discover Card and the Real Issues
2001; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 23; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1097/00132981-200107000-00005
ISSN1552-3624
Autores ResumoEditor: The April edition of EMN includes articles such as “Ratios Pit Nurses against Hospitals, Doctors,” “Official JCAHO Policy Dictates Pain Management,” “Crisis Pushes California EDs to the Breaking Point,” and “New ACLS Rules Complicated but Meant to be Just Guidelines.” Pretty heady stuff, difficult issues for all of us to consider. Given these concerns that an organization representing the emergency physician could address, what do we find out that the leadership of ACEP is addressing: Discover card commercials (“Discover Card Commercial Draws Protests from Hospital, Professional Groups,” EMN, April 2001, pp. 1, 37). Which of the following is more disturbing? A farcical credit card commercial trying to promote buying pizza on credit that uses an emergency motif or this statement by Robert W. Schafermeyer, MD, the president of ACEP: “It [the credit card commercial] also falsely portrays an emergency situation in which a person does not receive life-saving care until his Discover card is approved, sending a dangerous message to the public by implying prior approval is needed before getting emergency care.” Every year I attend the ACEP convention and learn a great deal from the presenters. After the meeting I get a letter from ACEP asking me to join the organization. Energized by the superb conference, I seriously consider it. However, because I am a BCIM physician practicing emergency medicine full-time and am therefore the chaff of the ED wheat in the eyes of ACEP, I chose to stay a nonmember physician. An article like this helps support my decision. Emergency medicine faces so many challenges. ACEP itself faces divisions between nonresidency BCEM physicians, the residency trained BCEM physicians and the full-time non-EM certified physicians. Emergency medicine is tossed around by administrators and other physicians who do not appreciate what we do for them and their patients. Yes, I know the “we are not taken seriously” concern, but our attempts to make ourselves look more serious only makes us look ridiculous. The most popular drama on TV tells the public weekly about the work done by emergency personnel. What was the big issue for ACEP? The show is named “ER” instead of “ED.” If ACEP is going to take time to write letters about a Discover card commercial, then they should definitely write to the company that sells Mountain Dew. Those people do some dangerous things that might get people hurt (remember the guy who chases down the cheetah and pulls an empty Mountain Dew can from his stomach). Heck, I didn't even see a disclaimer on that commercial saying, “Don't try this at home, professional cheetah chaser, closed course.” In fact why stop there? The list of tongue-and-cheek commercials is nearly endless. ACEP would be doing a great public service by writing to each sponsor in an effort to change marketing behavior. I don't need to start going into movies. Imagine what Nicholas Cage's character did for the image of the EMTs in “Bring Out Your Dead.” ACEP could dedicate a whole committee to this problem. Another article in this month's EMN is titled “Crazy is as Crazy Does.” This would have been an excellent title for the article on ACEP and the Discover card. By the way, Mr. Koenig: Great commercial. All of us in the ER (excuse me, ED) here loved it. Juan Blanch, MD New Orleans, LA
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