The Patient Side of Healthcare

I found the article published today on MSNBC.com by Bill Dedman a perfect fit to this discussion of the patient side of healthcare. However, despite the fact that “Clinic with two doors, a Symbol of Two-Tier Care” makes one think about where he or she fits in the world of concierge healthcare and what is important to them as consumers, it just focuses attention on what money can buy. So what else is new?

Don’t get more wrong, I doubt if anyone reading this article thinks they should be getting premier healthcare service for a mammogram where the insurance company picks up the $140 tab. But the perception is that consumers are not entitled to great service unless they are paying top dollar. My concern is that we are being lulled into believing that that is going to be the case going forward. My sincere hope is that consumers don’t buy it and healthcare providers don’t perpetuate it.

I just ran across this great article by Barbara Ficcara from her Health in 30 website. It fits in nicely with the patient care audits I have been conducting (See Perception Strategies News) and the H1N1 scare. I especially like her advise at the end of the article on what patients should do when being discharged. So many of our hospital clients fail to make a clear connection with their patients before they leave.

After 11 years in the healthcare mystery shopping business, I am still reminded of how new the field really is when we can’t seem to settle on one name for this fledgling industry. Medical mystery shopping, secret shopping and healthcare mystery shopping all seem to carry similar weight depending on who you are talking to. I think it would be so much easier for prospects to find us and other qualified companies if we could decide on one (I’ve always leaned toward healthcare mystery shopping, but also see value in the name medical mystery shopping). It would also help clients avoid the morass of mystery shopping companies who list healthcare but would have a hard time explaining the difference between an ED and an ICU.