In July of 2012, Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN fame wrote an editorial for “The New York Times,” entitled, “More Treatment, More Mistakes,” where he noted that he estimated that upwards of 200,000 deaths a year in the US are attributable to medical mistakes. In that same article, Dr. Gupta noted that in a survey of orthopedic surgeons, “24 percent of the medical tests they ordered were medically unnecessary.”
This article addresses the patient’s role in perpetuating the problem described above. The complicated relationship between doctor and patient combines ideas patients have of needing help, going to the doctor for help, exposing themselves (literally) in their efforts to obtain help and trusting that the healthcare provider they see will provide that help. We go to the doctor to “take care” of us.
Too often, IN THE PATIENT’S MIND, the physician takes on a rescuer role, a parental role, a caretaker’s role that not only can contribute to increased costs for the patient but can result in less than optimal treatment. The complicated issues of transference-like trust, and obedience that patients adopt can result in financial, physical, and emotional harm.
Here’s a quiz:
1) Do you want your doctor’s approval in terms of “liking” you and labeling you as a “good” patient? There’s a difference between cooperation and seeking approval.
2) Do you accept everything your doctor says without asking additional questions?
3) Does your healthcare provider ever perform tests that you’re not aware of?
4) Does your physician balk when you ask questions subtly or not-so-subtly indicating that he or she expects you to accept his words without question?
5) Does your health care provider criticize you and try to shame, guilt or humiliate you into taking or avoiding specific actions?
6) Does your healthcare threaten to discontinue “treatment” if you do or do not do certain actions?
7) Have you visited a healthcare provider this year at least twice when the outcome was no treatment suggestion beyond non-medical advice, such as get more rest, exercise or take vitamins?
8) Do you forget that your healthcare provider is your employee and that you’re paying that person for a service?
9) Have you ever received a bill and accompanying insurance company explanation of benefits that included charges you weren’t aware of?
IF YOU ANSWERED “YES” to any of the above questions, you have work to do on your relationship with your healthcare service providers. Imagine the same questions being asked about your plumber or your electrician and you’ll understand that in the consumer transaction of purchasing health services, you must use your consumer savvy to protect yourself emotionally, physically and financially.
Physicians and patients as well as all other healthcare and health industry participants will benefit through increased patient awareness and understanding of the business of healthcare. Our empowerment as consumers requires that we remember that we are health-industry consumers first, we employ everyone we pay for healthcare services. By clearly defining what we expect from those employees we can begin to assert our requirements for the healthcare industry.
