The "doctor-customer" relationship: Hippocrates in the modern marketplace.
We performed a consecutive survey of 100 people presenting to a hospital injury clinic to ascertain their attitude to terminology currently used to describe them in our own institution and in the international literature. The results of this demonstrated that the subjects significantly preferred the traditional assignation "patient" rather than terms such as client or customer. This finding reflects the need to remember peoples' attitudes and expectations from their consultation with their doctor. Although business models undoubtedly help in the provision of an efficient health care service, remaining at the centre of this encounter is a doctor-patient relationship that involves a more complex interaction than simply a market transaction.
Mulhall
Kevin J
KJ
Department of Orthopaedics, Limerick Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland.
Ahmed
Aftab
A
Masterson
Eric
E
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019981:Health Care Sector; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013222:State Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom