customers
John A Zeffer
Description
Collection
Title:
customers
Creator:
John A Zeffer
Date:
10/14/2000
Text:
The issue of client-customer-patient terminology is worthy of putting to
rest. I responded to a post regarding propriety of the terminology, based
upon some discontented “recipient” of P&O services that seems to think that
O&P professionals are not worthy of addressing those they service as
“patients”, and that our clients were not patients but “customers”. I am
embarrassed that I even responded, but I have seen this issue come up over
and over again. I got some thank you letters, and some hate mail regarding
this silly debate.
I’ve given some thought to the terminology; I think that everyone we deal
with is a customer. If you have children, they are your customers in as much
as you hope they are going to buy into the value systems that you are trying
to sell them. Patients are customers of doctors and hospitals. They are also
customers of therapists, social workers, and (oh my god!) prosthetists.
Patients are the people who receive medical services and products.
Customers? Yes! Patients? Yes! Patients are a sub-category of customers.
Why is it that some amputees take such issue with this? Why do they not want
to be referred to as patients, even though that is what they present to
their insurance companies and others who are responsible for payment of
their health care services? If those who take issue with this were to win
their point, I am sure their insurance companies who provide medical
benefits, would be ecstatic. Medical necessity? What is that?
I propose that the real underlying issue here is one of anger. Anger that
there is a disability. Anger that someone who is supposedly able to replace
limbs, cannot replace the quality of limb that God had originally supplied.
Hence, the prosthetist is held in contempt. Amputees are sometimes
disappointed in us. Our capabilities are not up to the unrealistic
expectations of some of our patients. True, there are outrageous claims
coming from some O&P providers. Crap like the pressure plate in the
prosthetic foot that delivered an electronic “tapping” stimulation to the
stump to show contact force with the floor, and then sold to our customers
as a replacement for proprioception. Outrageous! No wonder some patients get
disillusioned with us. But does that mean that we are not worthy of
providing health care to patients? That is what we do. We provide health
care. Artificial limbs are designed according to the patient’s needs and
capabilities. They do not yet come out of a box in Large, Medium, and Small
sizes. (Soon they will, I fear, but not yet). I propose that when an amputee
can go to a store and pick a limb off the shelf, to take home and fit to
themselves, they will no longer be patients to prosthetists. At that time
there will be no prosthetists anyway. Prosthetists’ services will not be
needed.
Just as a doctor is incapable of saving a ruined limb, the prosthetist is
incapable of replacing the living tissue that once ran, felt a loved one, or
expressed emotion. Unfortunately for the prosthetists, the anger and
disillusionment is often directed at them. Some amputees feel that we are
not professionals. We are constantly put to test on our professionalism. To
even debate whether or not we are professional enough to call a patient a
patient, does not serve anyone. I will not consider my profession to be
outside of the medical and health care provision field. I think it would be
politically and professionally incorrect to do so. We are one of the medical
fields, and we treat patients.
John Zeffer, CP
rest. I responded to a post regarding propriety of the terminology, based
upon some discontented “recipient” of P&O services that seems to think that
O&P professionals are not worthy of addressing those they service as
“patients”, and that our clients were not patients but “customers”. I am
embarrassed that I even responded, but I have seen this issue come up over
and over again. I got some thank you letters, and some hate mail regarding
this silly debate.
I’ve given some thought to the terminology; I think that everyone we deal
with is a customer. If you have children, they are your customers in as much
as you hope they are going to buy into the value systems that you are trying
to sell them. Patients are customers of doctors and hospitals. They are also
customers of therapists, social workers, and (oh my god!) prosthetists.
Patients are the people who receive medical services and products.
Customers? Yes! Patients? Yes! Patients are a sub-category of customers.
Why is it that some amputees take such issue with this? Why do they not want
to be referred to as patients, even though that is what they present to
their insurance companies and others who are responsible for payment of
their health care services? If those who take issue with this were to win
their point, I am sure their insurance companies who provide medical
benefits, would be ecstatic. Medical necessity? What is that?
I propose that the real underlying issue here is one of anger. Anger that
there is a disability. Anger that someone who is supposedly able to replace
limbs, cannot replace the quality of limb that God had originally supplied.
Hence, the prosthetist is held in contempt. Amputees are sometimes
disappointed in us. Our capabilities are not up to the unrealistic
expectations of some of our patients. True, there are outrageous claims
coming from some O&P providers. Crap like the pressure plate in the
prosthetic foot that delivered an electronic “tapping” stimulation to the
stump to show contact force with the floor, and then sold to our customers
as a replacement for proprioception. Outrageous! No wonder some patients get
disillusioned with us. But does that mean that we are not worthy of
providing health care to patients? That is what we do. We provide health
care. Artificial limbs are designed according to the patient’s needs and
capabilities. They do not yet come out of a box in Large, Medium, and Small
sizes. (Soon they will, I fear, but not yet). I propose that when an amputee
can go to a store and pick a limb off the shelf, to take home and fit to
themselves, they will no longer be patients to prosthetists. At that time
there will be no prosthetists anyway. Prosthetists’ services will not be
needed.
Just as a doctor is incapable of saving a ruined limb, the prosthetist is
incapable of replacing the living tissue that once ran, felt a loved one, or
expressed emotion. Unfortunately for the prosthetists, the anger and
disillusionment is often directed at them. Some amputees feel that we are
not professionals. We are constantly put to test on our professionalism. To
even debate whether or not we are professional enough to call a patient a
patient, does not serve anyone. I will not consider my profession to be
outside of the medical and health care provision field. I think it would be
politically and professionally incorrect to do so. We are one of the medical
fields, and we treat patients.
John Zeffer, CP
Citation
John A Zeffer, “customers,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 6, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/215113.
