Attention Doctors

As a result of dedicating my life to helping others to live their best life in peace and joy thanks to God and His Word, despite the inherent, never ending challenges and limitations of severe chronic pain, I have gotten much feedback about people's doctors.  This page was written to help you understand things that are important in order for you to deliver the best care.

You always need to remember that all patients come with feelings because if their perception is that you do not listen or care about them on some level that will interfere with your ability to help them. 

Before you think that I do not understand your side of things, please know that I possess superior clinical supervisory experience from running a 10 tech staff in a 3 provider multi-million dollar specialty surgical practice.  Thus, I am innately cognizant of the many challenges and needs that you do indeed face, day in and day out as you shall realize below. 

A few years ago, I had a woman who had sustained serious spinal injuries similar to mine, say that she was very frustrated by her doctors because she felt that they did not give her injuries, pain and resulting challenges, any acknowledgement. 

She said to me wistfully, “I just want them to acknowledge my pain.” 

I found her comment interesting and thought provoking because it made me realize that the best doctors I’ve been blessed to have, from PCP’s (primary care physicians) to chiropractic, neuro and pain surgeons, all conveyed a personal sense of caring and acknowledgement for my injuries and their various challenges. 

One of whom actually had similar injuries and pain that made him become a doctor to help others as a result of the help that he got from his doctor.  Thus, he was empathetic and the rest were sympathetic. 

Her experience illustrates that although docs are trained to control their feelings to maintain an objective clinical distance, some are seriously lacking in bedside manners. 

Now, this fact is not a problem for those who just see a doctor annually or less; or at least, it should not be.  If it is, such people need to drop to their knees and focus on being grateful for having such blessed health! 

It is however, a problem for those with chronic conditions who, like me, see their doctors more than friends or family. 

I tout heavily on Spinal Trap how vital it is for a person and their doctor have a mutually respectful relationship; and if their doctor does not respect them, to find a new one because this relationship is every bit as important as your most personal ones. 

Although it is not personal for doctors, being touched, poked, probed, injected, cut into, etc…and being undressed partially or fully as needed, is very personal for every patient.  Thus, your doctor should have whatever bedside manner is essential to you feeling good about being their patient. 

However, patients too need to keep things in perspective.  It is a professional relationship; the doctor isn’t your friend; thus, have proper expectations.  If you have fair and reasonable needs and your doc does not meet them, find a new doctor or surgeon because a healthy doctor/patient relationship is as necessary to your healing process as the treatment plan that they develop. 

Holistic Life Coach Tip #22:  The 4 C’s of life.  A person does not have to like their doctor, nor does the doctor have to like their patient.  However, a mutually respectful relationship is non-negotiable, for then both parties needs will be met because mutual respect will produce the 4 C’s essential to reaching the end goal of a person attaining their best possible physical and spiritual health.  Clear communications, collaboration and cooperation.  These 4 C’s can and should be applied to every important relationship in your life. 

If you are unsure if your doctor (dis)respects you, please read this Spinal Trap page for strong and accurate data about doctors’ offices and behaviors that will illuminate things for you:  

http://www.spinaltrapb2g.com/does_your_dr_disrespect_you

Medical Practice Challenges

I said earlier that I understand what you go through day to day.  Insurance companies keep cutting payments forcing you to see more and more patients to not lose income, thereby reducing how much time you can actually spend with each non-emergent patient. 

However, it’s about quality of conversation, not quantity.  You are going to convey something during your time with each person, choose to let it include a sense of genuine care and concern. 

You also need to make sure staff knows how to work-up a patient, perform tests applicable to their complaints, chart accordingly and bill accurately to avoid unnecessary payment rejections and delays that lead to additional suffering and stress for patients who get wrongly billed as a result. 

When people with chronic health ills finally have a better day, it should not be eaten up by fixing other peoples errors. 

I have spent days calling, writing and faxing about radiology billing errors and three different doctor’s office billing errors. 

When I, a person in pain and sometimes, on mood and mind-altering prescription drugs, am more efficient than those whose jobs it is to be so, what’s wrong with that picture? 

With the horribly high unemployment rates in the U.S., not one employer has ANY EXCUSE to have lousy staff.  If you do, replace them.  An incompetent staffer isn’t just a threat to patients but to your career too if they make a fatal error that costs your license. 

There is always a percentage of patients who are unreasonable in their demands and expectations of you, your time and what traditional medicine can do for them. 

Those are not the ones of whom I speak here; don’t waste your time on them for they will drain you.  If they get offended and leave your practice, that’s actually not a loss…

I know that insurance companies spend more time and effort looking for reasons to not pay you which is why you should also focus on drawing self-pay cash patients by offering a competitive discount for your services that takes into consideration the time, payroll and stress saved by not having to submit insurance claims and respond to repeated rejections. 

When I’ve called a practice to ask what the cash pay discount is and they hem and haw, have to figure it out and call me back, etc…I keep calling other ones until I find a practice who has their act together and can tell me.  Just as your time is valuable, so is my energy and you should have cash pay prices figured out before you open your doors.  Remember, cash patients save you time, money and insurance hassles.  Don’t be cheap, offer one! 

The only thing worse than this is when a doc's office charges MORE for a cash pay visit than I know that the insurance would pay them, eventually!  Wow!  What an insult to patients with no insurance; most of whom do not have it because they can't afford it.  So you are going to charge them more for the same service than insurance would pay???  UNACCEPTABLY GREEDY.

If you want to establish yourself as an expert in your field, writing papers is great but so is offering well-done C.E.

accreditation courses to local docs who will become referring docs to your practice, which is a solid way to build your bottom line because it is repeat and referral business that build a thriving practice. 

I know that you went to medical school to practice medicine and help people, not play referee for petty personnel issues.  Thus, you and your manager’s ability to read people and hire mature professionals is essential to your daily peace of mind. 

You dotted all of your i’s and crossed all your t’s to graduate medical school and get licensed, do not drop the ball on hiring just anyone to hire someone.  Experienced people with bad attitudes are more harm to your practice than hiring people with no experience who possess a good attitude because they can easily be trained to do things your way but you will never break someone of a bad attitude. 

Just make sure that inexperienced candidates have common sense to think things through to reduce errors and that they have no problem speaking up when they do not understand.  Have 3 example scenarios ready (applicable to your practice) for the interview to ascertain if they know how to think on their feet. 

Holistic Life Coach Tip #23:  Allow my clinical training tips in the link below help your staff to function at its highest level because every mistake they make is not just a poor reflection on you, but can land you on the undesirable end of a lawsuit. 

Therefore you need to be sure that their training and performance is consistently above reproach since everything they do wrong comes back to haunt you, your license and your reputation. 

http://www.spinaltrapb2g.com/10_smart_waysgreat_medical_office_employee