Do Patients Want To Be Customers?

A close friend of mine is unfortunately no stranger to healthcare.  A missed diagnosis was followed by a botched surgery leaving him with chronic pain.  He has sought help and largely been offered pills and more surgery.  Most recently, he had a cough and fever.  Going to his doctor he apologized, noting he did not have an appointment, but was worried. His doctors response- no problem, you’re a good “customer”, I’ll get you a script for some antibiotics.

For many of us in healthcare, this might have seemed a benign exchange.  After all, we are being asked to think about patients more as customers, to offer a higher level of service and follow up, and ultimately provide value around the the services we provide.  However, patients may view this differently.  In my friend’s case, this was an epiphany.  At that moment, he lost all faith in his physician and in fact began to generalize about providers generally.  If his doctor saw him as a source of revenue, someone who would be back for repeat business, what did that mean about all those appointments to follow?  Up till that point, my friend thought their relationship was based on mutual goals, working together to solve my his healthcare problem.  Disappointed and angered, he fired his doctor on the spot.

There seems to be a disconnect.  As providers, we'd like to think we are at Maslow's level 4 (self-actualization), or at least level 3 (psychological needs), but we are at level 1 (basic needs, survival mode). 21st century healthcare offers more than ever before, but in exchange for treatment options, the business of healthcare has now replaced what most of patients want- a partner to help them through some of life's greatest challenges.

I don't believe most providers consciously think of patients as opportunities for revenue.  However, I would be disingenuous to suggest that at time providers become overwhelmed and forget their work is their patients. Further, growth decisions, which lines of business to support and grow at a hospital system level, are in financial justifications.  And for their part, today’s healthcare environment requires patients must take a more active role in their health rather than expecting things to be done to them, magically making them well.  

Today we seem stuck at the lowest level of the hierarchy, what I'll call the impersonal "other" for lack of a better word.  The next level up would be customer, someone valued as an opportunity for a long term relationship rather than a one time transaction.  At this level, we would treat as if we want people to come back.  Currently, unlike most businesses, there is no follow up in healthcare.  We may not be able to get to the third level, where the goals of the doctor and patient align.  Perhaps someone can create a business model successfully executing on this vision.  If they do, they'll be very successful.