Letters: Grumpy patients and Obamacare
Re “Leave the patient satisfied,” July 21
The problem with using patient satisfaction in determining federal reimbursements to hospitals is this: Some people are never satisfied.
I have worked in healthcare in L.A. for 20 years, and I currently work in a major emergency room. I can tell you that patient satisfaction is often not based on the quality of care.
There’s the able-bodied patient who demands transportation assistance upon discharge. There’s also the normally healthy patient who comes in complaining of a cough and becomes abusive when finding out there is a wait for a physician who, by the way, was treating a gunshot victim.
Thankfully, most patients are appreciative of the care they receive. Unfortunately, the ones most likely to send in poor reviews are the ones who will never be satisfied.
Trying to please those patients is impossible. And tying reimbursements to their satisfaction is dangerous.
Ruth Gurwitch
Los Angeles
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