Browsing for articles on the concept of the ‘good patient’ I came across an article by American Asset Protection Specialist entitled ‘Get Rid of Bad Patients’. In it he listed 5 types of patient who should be fired. These included:
Problem patients who complain, are negative or abusive.
Patients who miss appointments, fail to pay bills and fail to take care of their health.
Patients who are self-obsessed.
Patients who cost a lot to treat and take up time (old and chronically ill/disabled).
Patients who watch TV every day and are thus more likely to sue.
After each group came the words “Get rid of them”. Once these patients were removed the practice would be more profitable and less stressful. Although an extreme example, set in a context without a universal healthcare system, the categorisation of patients as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ has been around for a long time and is still very evident amongst healthcare professionals and policy makers. What makes this categorisation different from early references to ‘heartsink’ patients, who also elicit negative feelings, is the profit factor……..Click here to read the full post on the Cost of Living blogsite
