My Patient v/s My Health Care Consumer

birdgardner · Sep 13, 2008

I will keep this short .
I prefer taking care of patients
The minute I hear Health Care Consumer . Or Health Care Customer, it makes me think of working in Retail Sales not a hospital.
What are your thoughts on this?

I will wash a patient's genitals if necessary; I don't see doing that for a customer or a client.

ilstu99 · Sep 13, 2008

It sounds like a demographic to me, not a person.

I prefer Mr. or Ms. Patient'sLastName.

BinkieRN, BSN, RN · Sep 14, 2008

First it was patient, when I was going through school we had to use client, now health care consumer? Why do they have to keep changing the name?

I think it's some goody two shoes at the top of some organization that wants to make sure that nursing remains politically correct but has never worked a day on the floor in her entire career :twocents:

missjennmb · Sep 14, 2008

I like "client" but then I come from a corporate background and have some very negative experiences in having been the "patient". Client, to me, is someone I take care of, but who is ultimately responsible for themselves. I provide them a service, which they can take or not, and in the end it is their decision. Having been a patient and not had any say in my care (other than walking out...and even that has not always been an option) I really don't mind the word itself, but I do mind the "doctor is god" and "be a good little patient and do as your told" connotation of patient. I have experienced more than one situation where there was no advocate for the patient, and the patient didn't realize they were "allowed" to advocate for themselves. I know so so so many women from my work with ICAN that had cesareans without even realizing that they should learn about it and educate themselves before agreeing to their doctor's "reccomendation". Those are "patients". When I asked my CNM if we could discuss any possible alternatives prior to my taking a specific med during pregnancy and my "doctor" came in screaming at me and telling me I was going to kill myself because I was not "doing what I was instructed"...I was a patient. If a single word means the difference between being treated like a bad kid for wanting to be a part of the decision making process, and being given my autonomy back and perhaps a little more respect in the process.... then call me client all day long. Or anything else that reminds the system that I am not just a number or a body.

I'm not saying that anyone in this thread is mistreating patients in any way, but I am DEFINITELY of the belief that people should be a part of their healing process, and unless there is a psychiatric/age issue to the contrary, should have the final say in which services they receive. I'm all about informed choice. I wish that we could just wipe the slate and suddenly everyone would see patients in that light, and all patients would be responsible about researching and making INFORMED choices, but its not that black and white. If a little word change, like patient to client, makes it one step closer, then just call me a one man cheering band.

AmaurosisFugax · Sep 14, 2008

i like "client" but then i come from a corporate background and have some very negative experiences in having been the "patient". client, to me, is someone i take care of, but who is ultimately responsible for themselves. i provide them a service, which they can take or not, and in the end it is their decision. having been a patient and not had any say in my care (other than walking out...and even that has not always been an option) i really don't mind the word itself, but i do mind the "doctor is god" and "be a good little patient and do as your told" connotation of patient. i have experienced more than one situation where there was no advocate for the patient, and the patient didn't realize they were "allowed" to advocate for themselves. i know so so so many women from my work with ican that had cesareans without even realizing that they should learn about it and educate themselves before agreeing to their doctor's "reccomendation". those are "patients". when i asked my cnm if we could discuss any possible alternatives prior to my taking a specific med during pregnancy and my "doctor" came in screaming at me and telling me i was going to kill myself because i was not "doing what i was instructed"...i was a patient. if a single word means the difference between being treated like a bad kid for wanting to be a part of the decision making process, and being given my autonomy back and perhaps a little more respect in the process.... then call me client all day long. or anything else that reminds the system that i am not just a number or a body.
i'm not saying that anyone in this thread is mistreating patients in any way, but i am definitely of the belief that people should be a part of their healing process, and unless there is a psychiatric/age issue to the contrary, should have the final say in which services they receive. i'm all about informed choice. i wish that we could just wipe the slate and suddenly everyone would see patients in that light, and all patients would be responsible about researching and making informed choices, but its not that black and white. if a little word change, like patient to client, makes it one step closer, then just call me a one man cheering band.

can't agree more, in fact i posted the following in a similar thread:

as a person being treated i would like to be considered both:mad: the word patient sounds friendlier but also has a connotation of helpnessness associated with it, like someone who should submit unhesitatingly to the doctor/nurses' authority. remember the times patients did not have access to their own medical records b/c it was felt that would give too much info to the 'uneducated' patient & may even enable him or her make independent decisions or question/challenge the doctor's wisdom! that was too much patient & not enough client. client sounds too cold, true, but it also connotes the person undergoing treatment has specific rights pertaining to his/her body...