Customer Care vs. Patient Care

I read an article today on the Happier Healthcare website.

http://happierhealthcare.com/2012/12/26/is-customer-care-as-important-as-patient-care/?goback=%2Egde_4573686_member_204646619

The question is asked, "Is Customer Care As Important as Patient Care?"

My response to that question is: "Absolutely!"  However, too many times
patient care is being brushed aside by the advances in technology.
A number of people have told me recently that they do not receive the
same care as they used to.  Why?

In the rush to institute EHR, it is so easy for professionals to forget that the
reason they have a job in the first place is that patients come to their offices
and shell out money for their services.

I am not saying that EHR is a bad thing, but I think in the rush to become
compliant by 2014 in order to not be penalized, there must be some
commonsense approaches to the implementations. 

Alienating your customers is one of the last things that a professional healthcare
provider wants to do. Unfortunately, unsatisfied customers take their business
elsewhere and in this economy that is not a good thing. Couple that with the fact
that people are losing jobs and insurance at a rapid rate, and the picture is not
good. 

So, what are the professionals to do?  
Listen to your patients. Hear what they are telling you and observe and note what you see
just like you used to. Make sure your patient feels that you are interested in their needs. 

Chart what you need to, but understand that the information that you are entering into
the computer in the examining room belongs to the patient. Be very careful who sees the 
information. Ex. The exit clerk does not need to see the patient's weight and everything that
was discussed in the visit. 

So back to the original question, "Is customer care as important as patient care?". Again, yes. Treat your customers (patients) like you would want to be treated. Or better yet, if your mother was the patient, how would you like her to be treated? 

Customer service, that extra mile, goes a long ways to bring patients back into your office when they are in need of your services. 

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh, CMRS
President and CEO of Claims Connection, LLC

personalized medical care?

I went to the doctor yesterday for my diabetic checkup and
was surprised at how different the medical care was from
just six months ago. I also had some concerns with the changes
and my privacy as a patient. 

When the nurse took me to the exam room, she sat down in front
of a computer screen. She asked the questions that were listed
on the screen and seemed more interested in the screen than
in me, the patient. A lot of things were missed or not addressed.

When I was in nurses' training a long time ago, we were taught
to assess the patients immediately when they were brought 
in to the examining room. We were told to listen to the patient
and take careful notes of what they said. Remember 
"SOAPIE" notes?

 I told her some things that were going on and they were missed because
she was more interested in the computer than what I was telling her. She forgot
 to take my blood pressure and temperature and she did not note the fact that
I have been having new symptoms. 

The doctor came in, reviewed the computer screen for five minutes
and then left.  There was very little hands on patient care that took place.

So why am I concerned? 
When I checked out and set the new appointment, I was handed
a receipt along with a print out of what supposedly took place during my
visit. 
This information was seen by more than the doctor or nurse. It was seen and
printed by the exiting clerk and who knows who else! Wait a minute!  As a patient
I do not want to advertise my medical history, allergies, diagnoses codes, weight, BMI,
date of birth, etc. to anyone else other than the doctor. 

• The printout had diagnosis codes that were not even being treated.
• The new symptoms were not addressed because of the distraction of entering everything into the computer. 

• Somehow, the personal care was missing.
• Nursing has changed from hands-on to mouse control.
• Patient care has been set aside for a bunch of codes (entered by a nurse not the doctor) and a computer screen.
• Medical information is not as private as it once was because more people had access to information that used to be just between the doctor, nurse and I. 

As a medical biller, I know all about HIPAA Guidelines and privacy concerns. I am aware of changes as medical care is being forced into changes whether for the good or not. 

However, in our technological advances, the privacy that we are trying hard to protect, may

in fact, become open to more theft, fraud, and abuse and lessened personalized care.

Instead of paying the fees that I did for services received, an insurance company could have been billed hundreds or thousands for that visit, when in reality, the care was not as it should have been because they were trying hard to be compliant. 

Also, as a medical biller, it is my job to make sure that the patient is only billed for the

care that they receive and that the providers are paid for the work that they do all the

while keeping patient privacy an utmost concern in my mind. Privacy matters, but so does

personalized care!

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh, CMRS