CONTROL YOUR LIFE!

People Need To Control Their Own Health Care Destiny Today

Patients Do Not Want More Care, People Just Want The Right Care:

• People recognize the harms of over testing and over treatment, and people know that more care is not always better. People want to know that they are getting the RIGHT CARE.

Patients Need To Know, "They Can Say NO!":

• Patients are used to doctors telling them what they need. Physicians are surprised when patients mention they have a choice to NOT get a test or to NOT take medications.

Patients Crave Connection And Care With Their Physician:

• People want face-to-face interaction with “their” doctor, they want to be listened to and to be heard. People want their doctors to understand and connect with them emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Knowing their medical history is only the start. This requires a real relationship. We do not want to go to “Minute Clinics – popping up in every strip mall” to access a doctor. People expect a long-lasting relationship with an accessible, trustworthy physician.

Patients Want To Please Their Doctors:

• In general, people like their doctors. Many people feel they have to do what their doctor tells them, out of fear of displeasing them. Others expressed their need for doctors to support their decisions without being judged, because you have a different value-system. Of course, you do – IT’S YOUR LIFE!

Patients Know That The Current Health Care System Is Unsustainable:

• No matter the politics, people see that the current health care system as being broken. Since “free” and “cheap” are not synonymous with good care, people are willing to pay out of pocket for a better value, that provides results.

Patients Do Not Expect Perfection, But They Do Demand Transparency:

• People know that doctors are not omniscient, they just want them to share what they know. Uncertainty is fine, as long as they are told the truth. Also, people accept that doctors are human, and that medical errors do occur. People do not aim for retribution; but they do want disclosure of the mistake, and to know that the doctor is committed to addressing it.

Patients Want More Information, To Be Able To Choose Their Doctors And Their Hospital:

• People want to know more about their doctors. Not only their credentials, but also any financial conflicts of interests, their values and who they really are personally and professionally.

Patients Know That Hospitals Are Not Hotels:

• People do not expect valet parking and three-course meals, but we do want to be treated with respect. Without compassion and addressing the basic human needs, marble staircases and fancy MRIs are worthless. The same goes for doctors’ offices. Forget the fancy carpeting, we want a staff who treat people with humanity and dignity.

Patients Are Willing To Wait, If They Get What They Need:

• Patient satisfaction survey results show that higher wait times leads to unhappy patients. However, people are unhappy not because they had to wait, but because they did not get what they expected, despite the wait. Waiting two hours, and the doctor just spends ten minutes with you, is unacceptable. Studies show that once seen, patients are often interrupted during their “Explanation of Why They Are There”! It is no wonder why people feel ignored and not listened to!

Patients Are Not Lazy When It Comes To Their Health, And Do Not Always Want A Quick Fix:

• Most people do not want to go to their doctor at all, and prefer to find their own ways to improve their lifestyle. The popularity of diet and fitness books, is a case in point. Many do not want “the easy way out” in the form of drugs or surgery. But would rather discuss fitness, diet, and use of alternative therapies with their doctor. Most of the time it is the doctor who does not want to discuss these therapies with you, because they do not have the time.