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Can/should bedside manner be measured and reported?

bedside

In a NEJM Catalyst piece, Paul Rosen, M.D., looks at attempts to measure  and report physicians’ bedside manner. Among his remarks:

“Is there common ground between patient and physician perspectives? When approaching an encounter with a patient, the physician goal typically is to make the correct diagnosis and provide an evidence-based, efficacious treatment plan.”

“Consumer surveys show that patients value the correct diagnosis, a proper treatment plan, and the doctor’s medical knowledge. However, patients also value whether the doctor treats them with respect and dignity, listens and cares, takes time, and takes them seriously. The ideal patient experience merges excellent medical care, high-quality outcomes, compassion, and empathy that address the emotional needs of patients. Can physicians deliver all these things given the other constraints of practicing modern-day medicine?”

“Research demonstrating the correlation between service and quality is mixed. Some studies find a correlation between service and medical outcomes, yet other reports show no linkage between patient experience and outcomes, and some show a negative correlation. Study in this area, and the controversy, is ongoing.”

“The more cynical among physicians feel that the patient experience movement is just another cottage industry within medicine that enables consulting companies to thrive, while detracting from the real practice of medicine. It has become another charged administrative issue and another bully club for administrators to use against their doctors. The fact that many physician bonuses depend on the results of these survey scores drives further embitterment.”

Still, “many industries improve their performance when their data are shared transparently. Health systems, too, that are posting their patient satisfaction data on the Internet are seeing improvement in their scores and comments.”

To read  more, please hit this link.

 


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