Healthcare still needs to focus on connections with the patient, and other letters

Regarding the article “Bioethicists say patient-satisfaction surveys could lead to bad medicine” (ModernHealthcare.com, June 4), this is a great example of unintended consequences. As healthcare leaders we must not simply rely on tools and numbers, but rather truly improve the complex, adaptive system with a keen focus on ensuring authentic connection, relationship, trust and communication between our patients (and families) and clinicians.

Thomas Dahlborg

Regarding the article “Aging MDs prompt call for competency tests at AMA meeting” (ModernHealthcare.com, June 8), I have seen at least the implicit assumption by licensing authorities in a number of states that an aging practitioner, physician or otherwise, against whom a complaint is lodged should be scrutinized more closely. Sometimes the extra scrutiny is justified, sometimes not, but it irks me that age, in and of itself, is used as a negative evaluation factor.

Mary Giannini

Regarding the recent guest commentary “After King v. Burwell, viable exchanges are ACA's next challenge” (ModernHealthcare.com, June 5), the article offers some very insightful perspectives. It's interesting how smaller states are having a hard time achieving economies of scale on their exchanges because of high fixed operating costs. I wonder whether purely state-run exchanges are feasible in the long run.

Nathan Wilde