It's the patient/family's choice NOT the doctor!!!!

[lad120]

I get so frustrated with a particular doctor that I work with. He is a medical director for and another company who offers the same health services that the one I work with does. The thing that I get soo very irritated about is that he absolutely refuses to offer his patients the choice. Example, he would rather not allow the patient to have the care than let me take care of them. Another one, we got a referral today for a patient of his and he called to ask why the family offered us and when the LTCF told them the offer choice he hung up on them. The kicker is medicare says physicians can not do this!!!!!! He has done it several times and continues to do it all the time. I am ready to turn him in but don't know who to turn him in to. It is not that I want the business, it's that a patient deserves the right to make their own decision about the care that they are being provided. If they feel, truely, that the another company is right for them, then that is fine; but if they are only doing it because their doctor has pressured them to do what he wants them to do then that is NOT right. Unfortunately some patient/families don't the courage to stand up to a physician because they feel like they are not smart enough or the doctor knows best....well guess what they put their pants on one leg at a time in the morning just like you and I and sometimes they do things for selfish reasons too. In my opinion the fact that he does not give patient choice, is unethical!!!!! These people are adults and capable of making their own decisions and should be allowed to!!!!

Who in the medicare group would I go to to turn this friendly fellow into. I have patient families who have switched services after they recieved poor care and told me that they only reason they went with the other company was because nobody told them they had a choice!!!! WHAT!!!!! I stand amazed everytime I hear that!!! This just irks me more because I strongly feel that as HCPs we should educate on the options and the outcome that could happen and then allow the patient or the appropriate person make the decision that is right for them no matter what we think they should do. Sometimes it is so difficult to do, but that is our job.

Any opinions on this? I would love some input because it's really starting to get to me. My patients deserve dignity and respect, as do their families. It makes me so angry to know that there are patients out there being robbed of their opportunity to seek out the best possible care because they are not being allowed to have a choice!

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

Call the ombudsman.

[steelydanfan]

I could not understand your post, nor the question you were asking.

[Orange Tree]

Patients/families should probably make an effort to educate themselves. I'm not sure how this MD's referrals to a preferred company are a problem. And if patients feel "pressured" or "not smart enough" to participate in their own health care, I'm not sure the MD can be blamed for that, either.

[JBudd, MSN]

If he only makes referrals to a company he has a financial interestt in, without disclosing that, he is breaking the law. Call the state attorney general's office.

[lad120]

Patients/families should probably make an effort to educate themselves. I'm not sure how this MD's referrals to a preferred company are a problem. And if patients feel "pressured" or "not smart enough" to participate in their own health care, I'm not sure the MD can be blamed for that, either.

I agree that the families should make an effort to educate themselves, but that is not the way it goes and we all know that. I always felt that was why they taught us to educate our patients. Some families just don't do this. In a perfect world that would be wonderful, but we don't live in a perfect world. It is not right for an MD to only refer to a company he is involved with financially when there are other options available. A choice should be given, and the patients should be able to make the decision that is best for them whatever that may be.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Wow, that is very illegal and unethical. Is there a person in charge of case management/discharge planning you can report this man too? Case managers would normally be very upset to hear that someone is doing illegal planning.

[systoly]

Dear lad,

I didn't read your post in it's entirety, because you didn't take the time to prrof read and edit. Perhaps you're still angry and that is my point. Don't do anything while you're filled with anger.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

OP, If you can say, what general business are you in? I was thinking home health or hospice or something like it.