Comments on: My Patients ARE Customers Too http://dot2dothealthcareblog.com/2007/07/27/my-patients-are-customers-too/ tray dunaway md: speaker : author : surgeon : educator : dotsultant : visionary Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:21:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Mitch Keamy http://dot2dothealthcareblog.com/2007/07/27/my-patients-are-customers-too/#comment-78 Mitch Keamy Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:07:41 +0000 http://dot2dothealthcareblog.com/2007/07/27/my-patients-are-customers-too/#comment-78 tray- e-mail me a fax #. some of this stuff is easier to fax than scan/convert. Mitchj tray- e-mail me a fax #. some of this stuff is easier to fax than scan/convert.

Mitchj

]]> By: admin http://dot2dothealthcareblog.com/2007/07/27/my-patients-are-customers-too/#comment-77 admin Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:25:49 +0000 http://dot2dothealthcareblog.com/2007/07/27/my-patients-are-customers-too/#comment-77 Thank you Mitch. You're very much on target. The relationship between a patient and a physician is a covenent of the highest order but the current climate of the "business of healthcare" also requires this relationship to also be a contractual one as well. Acknowledging, and addressing both of these relationships simulataneously is important... and I'd appreciate the "dual-agency" information... I haven't read about that. Maybe that's why I drive a Honda! Tray... Thank you Mitch. You’re very much on target. The relationship between a patient and a physician is a covenent of the highest order but the current climate of the “business of healthcare” also requires this relationship to also be a contractual one as well. Acknowledging, and addressing both of these relationships simulataneously is important… and I’d appreciate the “dual-agency” information… I haven’t read about that. Maybe that’s why I drive a Honda! Tray…

]]> By: Mitch Keamy http://dot2dothealthcareblog.com/2007/07/27/my-patients-are-customers-too/#comment-75 Mitch Keamy Sun, 02 Sep 2007 22:47:23 +0000 http://dot2dothealthcareblog.com/2007/07/27/my-patients-are-customers-too/#comment-75 sorry, colleague, but I see your argument meandering around the central issue here; is the patient-physician relationship a covenant or is it a contract? You will understand immediately that the covenant implies a higher duty; things that "satisfy" a customer (doing elective surgery on a full stomach? filling that "extra" pain prescription) do not satisfy the terms of the covenant. Customers status also allows us to be caught in "dual-agency" positions, where our business interests vis-a-vis insurers and institutional providers conflict with our expected patient advocacy responsibilities. You and I both know that this happens on a daily basis in practice, and the one path leads to a Mercedes Benz, and the other to a Honda. There is nothing wrong with others calling their patients clients; especially if they are not their patients. There is nothing wrong with showing compassion to folks that our not patients; you and I both do it every day. My internist is a friend of mine. When he is over for a barbecue, he is Jim. When I am on his examining table, he is Dr. B; it reminds us both that our clinical relationship is different than, and separate from (although inevitably informed by) our personal friendship. I have some (old) published stuff on care covenant and dual agency; let me know if you want it. Thanks for the opportunity to opine. Nice Blog... Mitch Keamy sorry, colleague, but I see your argument meandering around the central issue here; is the patient-physician relationship a covenant or is it a contract? You will understand immediately that the covenant implies a higher duty; things that “satisfy” a customer (doing elective surgery on a full stomach? filling that “extra” pain prescription) do not satisfy the terms of the covenant. Customers status also allows us to be caught in “dual-agency” positions, where our business interests vis-a-vis insurers and institutional providers conflict with our expected patient advocacy responsibilities. You and I both know that this happens on a daily basis in practice, and the one path leads to a Mercedes Benz, and the other to a Honda. There is nothing wrong with others calling their patients clients; especially if they are not their patients. There is nothing wrong with showing compassion to folks that our not patients; you and I both do it every day. My internist is a friend of mine. When he is over for a barbecue, he is Jim. When I am on his examining table, he is Dr. B; it reminds us both that our clinical relationship is different than, and separate from (although inevitably informed by) our personal friendship.

I have some (old) published stuff on care covenant and dual agency; let me know if you want it.

Thanks for the opportunity to opine. Nice Blog…

Mitch Keamy

]]> By: admin http://dot2dothealthcareblog.com/2007/07/27/my-patients-are-customers-too/#comment-32 admin Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:15:07 +0000 http://dot2dothealthcareblog.com/2007/07/27/my-patients-are-customers-too/#comment-32 It's always bad when the author has to write the first comment. I felt compelled to write an extensive posting on this subject, partially because I feel so passionate about expanding horizons for everyone in healthcare to understand that we must embrace, educate, and co-exist with others outside of healthcare to make it all work. To really connect all the dots. Tray It’s always bad when the author has to write the first comment. I felt compelled to write an extensive posting on this subject, partially because I feel so passionate about expanding horizons for everyone in healthcare to understand that we must embrace, educate, and co-exist with others outside of healthcare to make it all work. To really connect all the dots. Tray

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