FIRED ... Again

I was fired again today.  Got my pink slip.  Think I'd be use to it after all these years.  Patient's fire me when I don't meet their expectations, when I fail to give them value for their money, or when I simply can't help them to their satisfaction.  I don't blame them when they fire me.  You see the patient is the boss and I'm their employee.  That's the way it should be.  The patient pays me and in return I provide a service to them.

Unfortunately, in many areas of our health care system the patient is no longer the boss.  They cannot fire the provider even if their expectations are not met, or they do not get the results they desire.  The problem arises from the fact that there is no accountability to the patient because the provider is not paid directly by the patient.  The "value for the money" part of the equation is missing. The provider has no incentive to be accountable to the patient.  As a result the patient has lost the ability to fire the doctor.

You can fire your dentist, you can fire your psychologist, you can fire your optometrist, and yes you can fire your  chiropractor, but if you want to continuing getting medical care you will have a difficult time firing your medical doctor.  That's because your MD is not accountable to you.  He/she is only accountable to the "system".  The system doesn't fire someone for as small a thing as not satisfying the patient.  Patient satisfaction often seems to be a low priority.

Even though I've been fired many, many times,I don't like it any more today than I did when I was first in practice.  But each time I get fired it causes me to evaluate the care I'm providing.  I need to provide service that my patients value and what patients want is constantly evolving.  I know full well that I will not be able to give every person what they desire, but I strive to meet the needs of as many people as I can.  If I can't do it, then I should be fired so the patient can connect with someone who will satisfactorily meet their needs.