I have to say this is my pet peeve! I absolutely hate it when they call patients "client" - can NOT STAND IT.
I got out of sales because I hated the greed, and the corporate feel.
Now there is a push somewhere - not sure where its coming from to call patients, "client". Client is a BUSINESS term. It is indicative of someone you have a FINANCIAL contract with. Attorney -CLIENT relationship. Realtor -CLIENT relationship.
I know hospitals charge money for their services, but in a MEDICAL setting - these people should not be called CLIENTS. These are PATIENTS - people who are sick, have an ailment, and are coming for MEDICAL attention.
Calling them CLIENT is a COLD term that ignores their reason for needing medical attention.
I see this on NCLEX questions, and study books as well - calling the patient CLIENT instead of PATIENT.
Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.
I personally had some issues with this as well. From what research I've done online, I found that the term client is now preferred because it implies that a patient is not simply coming to us to receive a service but it's also actively participating in their care. I am totally for patients been involved with their care and for them being informed "stakeholders" (yet another business term).
However, when I don't like about the system of thinking is that some equate healthcare with the services you might receive at a McDonald's in that simply is not an accurate comparison. A hospital, or healthcare in general, cannot be run like a fortune 500 compan in most cases.
We care for the rich and the poor the insured and uninsured. We care for people with intellectual and psychological disabilities and many people who feel they are formed but may have been misinformed it's in the multitude of in accurate information available the resources live Internet in word-of-mouth.
It just seems like everyone is trying to turn in healthcare, particularly hospital care, into a big business model and that's not gonna work.
Was taught in college to use the term "client" for Mental Healthcare Patients, in order to make them feel like they aren't "sick". This was around 2012, and my major was Mental Health.
OMG I hate that term!!! "Client" to me just sounds almost tawdry, I mean, hookers have "clients" for chrissake!!! If care is being given in a clinical setting, be it hospital or outpatient clinic, that person is a PATIENT...that's it that's all!!!
I work in a prison. I call them patients in my documentation, but if I'm not actively caring for someone they are just called inmates. We also call 99% of inmates by their last names, never first. The exception would be for some of the elderly inmates or the mental health ones.
I've heard of home health and disabled group homes calling the people they care for clients. Which to me makes sense. Patient sounds so clinical. I think using client sounds more business-like.
Use whatever term you want when you talk to other medical personnel. Use their name when you talk to them. Also, you can't control what term other people use. But I personally hate client as well. I have never heard it used in the hospital where I work. We use our pts first name, but it is a peds hospital.
I understand the home health view, but a think client is a cold term--why not person?
The only person in "control" of their health and well-being is the client. There is not a health care provider anywhere that is in "control" of another person.
Health care providers all makes are providing a service, and clients of health care deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and quality service.
As a patient or client, I always reserve the right to disagree with any health care provider and lodge a complaint if necessary.
I like using the word client. It helps remove the power distortion in a therapeutic relationship. Sets us on even ground, implies that they have an important role to play in their healthcare and that I am there to serve their needs. I have been on both sides of the bed and feel diminished of my individuality and unique strengths that I bring to the helping relationship.
Neither client or patient are the perfect words but we haven't been able to come up with a better one yet.
I totally agree with you. I have been an RN for many years and I detest the term client. A hooker calls her John a client. Well I'm certainly not a hooker. This term is debasing and denigrating for the nurse-patient relationship.
I would imagine those percentages vary greatly by hospital/region/unit, etc. I would bet my life that nowhere near 83% of the patients I work with are paying for anything.
Haha...take another drink of the koolaid...our local pedi hospital get 96% of it's income from medicaid...
I'm not sure how being on medicaid is equated with not paying anything at all towards healthcare. The vast majority of those on healthcare have at least paid into medicaid in the past and the majority are currently paying into medicaid since the majority of medicaid recipients work.
jrzgirlRN
1 Post
I agree with you, I work in home care and client is just more fitting in this setting.