Pt satisfaction rules, hospitals drool

Perhaps I am a bit jaded. I don’t know. I cannot for the life of me remembering being taught that the patient is always right. Now, I know that the “customer is always right” is an old adage passed down in customer service to keep those customers coming back. But when did patients suddenly begin to apply to these same standards? More often than not, the patient isn’t always right, otherwise why else are they in the hospital? Most don’t choose to be admitted, although granted there are those people out there who enjoy nothing more than being in the hospital.

I also understand making that stay in the hospital as pleasant as possible. Sick people are miserable and have the capability of making everyone else around them miserable as well. This misery feeds on the environment and trickles down to all levels of employees. But with the implement of all the muriad of information about patient satisfaction, I think it is high time that health care professionals take it back.

Being in the hospital is not about what you want, it is about what you need. Staying in the Hilton on vacation, for example, is what you want. But you don’t necessarily need it. The hospital is definitely not the Hilton. I mean, I would much rather be in the Hilton, but they probably are not going to be able to give me IVF. You will pay lots of money to stay in either, but only in the hospital do the employees also potentially pay for your stay, especially if you are on Medicare or Medicaid. Medicare or Medicaid certainly will not pay for your stay in the Hilton. Since many hospital earnings come primarily from these two sources, why can’t the health care professionals have a say in the care of the patients? Why do we have to bend over backward because the administration says so? Between all of the taxes paid from our paychecks, we probably send the government enough money to pay for that hospital visit. Why do we have to heed to the complaints of the people who didn’t get what they wanted out of their hospital stay?

Not all patients are like this. Many are very gracious about the care and information that we give them. But it is the few worm infested apples of the bunch who take the time to send in those surveys who ruin it for everyone. I don’t know if some people think that there is no need to send it in if you had exceptional care. It seems it is only the ones who had a “problem.” Is that really reflective of the care we provide as professionals? We are admonished like school children if we are not doing everything possible to ensure the stay in the hospital is not like the stay in the Hilton.

Some examples of things that will never be like the Hilton in the hospital:

* Your food will never taste like it does at the hotel. In fact, it won’t even taste like the food at home, let alone McDonald’s. But because of the food you eat in those places, you are in here with a blood sugar of 600. Please don’t be upset with us when your food tastes like cardboard. We are trying to make you better, and that food will most likely have very little sugar and salt. Sorry. And we will probably see you again in a few weeks because you didn’t follow the instructions that we left with you at discharge on your diet or medications.

* You will get woken up at all hours of the day and night. We do not have a wake up service. We need to monitor your vitals and all sorts of things, even at night. Unlike in the hotel, you are not here for rest and relaxation. You are here to get healthy, and if that means waking you up in the middle of the night because your heart rate suddenly dropped to 30, then we will do so. Sorry.

* You can call for room service in the hotel. They are happy to bring you whatever you want whenever they can. Shoot, you even tip them for their services. At the hospital, we cannot accept tips, even though we may bring you many things you want throughout your stay. But just because you want something, doesn’t mean you can have it. For instance, the person above with the cardboard tasting food, please don’t have your family bring you a bucket of chicken in. It will only make your stay that much longer because we will not be able to get your blood sugar under control.

* In the hospital, all rooms are pretty much created equal. [Unless you are in the OB ward, but that is different.] Please don’t complain about the furniture or comfort of the bed. In the hotel, you can have a nice, soft, pillowed mattress. But in the hospital, those types of things are difficult to clean and breed germs that we may even be unaware of. Yes, we understand that it is not like sleeping in your bed at home or at the hotel. There is nothing that we can do about that. Really.

Well, those are just a few things that I can think of anyhow. All I want is to take care of my patients in a safe environment. I cannot help it if the MD orders something not to the patient’s liking. Like actually getting out of the bed and sitting in the chair for a few minutes a day. Or being on a fluid restriction because your kidneys cannot handle it, and the extra fluid will send you into pulmonary edema, but every drop of fluid you can get your hands on you suck down in a blink. Gone are the days of patient responsibility. It has become an all hospital responsibility to ensure that everything is done to the patient’s satisfaction, regardless of outcome.