As a physician, when you walk into the examination room, you want to know as much as possible about your patient’s life to be able to give them the best care they need. But what about the opposite end? Should patients be given the same opportunity to know as much about the doctor treating them? How important is physician transparency?
Today, patients look toward using forums and online provider reviews to help them make health care decisions. And as the price of healthcare rises, they want more transparency.
Physician Transparency
After a visit with their primary care physician, patients are most likely to have formed an opinion about their service. Giving a survey after the visit can help gather information about the experience to rely to future patients online. Surveys like this will only help improve patient satisfaction and ensure that people return to the same physician.
Websites such as Medicare.gov allow patients to find and report on their physicians. The site is similar to a “rate my professor,” website. You enter your location and search for the name of your doctor before finding helpful results. The website offers patients a look at Accountable Care Organization performance scores. These organizations are groups of doctors, hospitals, and health care professional that help give quality care.
With alternative healthcare acts being put into action, patients may want to know as much as they possibly can about their attending physician and health care organization. Transparency within doctors in these ways will help patient satisfaction increase, especially within the locum tenens profession. Because locum tenens changed assignments regularly, forming bonds with patients can be difficult. Giving patients a look inside both the profession and life of a physician can increase the patient satisfaction and provide a longer lasting bond between patients and health care professionals.
