We are not clients.

15 December 2023 We are not clients. Chronically The Patient Empowerment Newsletter As patients, we are not clients. We don't buy anything from y

15 December 2023 We are not clients. Chronically The Patient Empowerment Newsletter

As patients, we are not clients. We don't buy anything from you, Doctor, because our health and well-being can never be bought or sold. We're not consumers looking to get the best deal or maximize value for our money. When we come to you, we come vulnerable, scared, looking for your expertise and guidance, yes, but also your empathy, compassion, and care.

You don't always not have your best interests at the core of your medical practice in the same way a business has customers' interests at heart in order to get sales. We are not customers to be serviced, appeased, or patronized. We are fellow human beings seeking your healing.

This is not a commercial transaction, despite what the healthcare business may look like today. We don't simply transact with you for services rendered. We come to you to make a human connection, to be heard and understood, to get clarity and reassurance, to be seen as the unique people we are behind the symptoms and lab results. We understand you must make a living, that medicine relies on financing and administration. But at its heart, it is about caregiving, not profit.

When illness strikes, we are thrust into unknown territory, filled with fear and uncertainty. You have the experience and knowledge to guide us. But we also need caring advocates, someone who sees us as more than medical cases to diagnose and treat. We need to feel that our wellbeing is your top priority, not your bottom line.

Of course you should be fairly compensated for your expertise and time. But you took an oath to act in our best interest—an oath that goes beyond dollars and cents. That is what we depend on when we place our care in your hands at our most vulnerable moments.

We don't just need medical information from you, as important as that is. We also need reassurance, comfort, and hope. We would like to know you are listening deeply to understand all our concerns. You se