Patients are more frequently being called consumers, partners and clients as healthcare providers focus attention on experience and satisfaction. But in a Dec. 13 blog post, some clinicians suggested a downside of using these descriptions, saying the terms don't capture the complexity of the relationship between patients and their providers.
Modern Healthcare surveyed readers on the topic and of the more than 120 respondents, 66% said it might be best to stick with the term “patient.” About 14% said they consider patients to be partners in their care, while 12% preferred to refer to patients as clients. Only 8% said customer would be a good description.
Respondents also shared their opinions in a comment section. “A client or customer is just the wrong call. It completely changes the relationship dynamic,” wrote one respondent. “And the majority of patients do not have the knowledge to make it an equal partnership,” another said. Others suggested that the term patient be used when an individual is under care for an illness, but client might be the most appropriate term during wellness visits and one person described the patient as a “medical consumer.”
One respondent said that given the nature of healthcare, it may be impossible to select just one term for all patients. “The people we serve wear different hats, and patient, customer and partner are all appropriate at different times,” the respondent said.
Follow Sabriya Rice on Twitter: @MHsrice
