Comments on: Patients do not want their doctors paid on salary http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Doc99http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-92109 Doc99 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:04:22 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-92109 A sizeable number of patients think doctors are paid too much, regardless of the mechanism. A sizeable number of patients think doctors are paid too much, regardless of the mechanism.

]]> By: Trisha Torreyhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-91306 Trisha Torrey Mon, 11 May 2009 14:24:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-91306 What a ridiculous question - patients have no clue how to translate such a question to their own experience. <br /><br />I do have a question - this is a Kaiser survey.... how does Kaiser pay its doctors?<br /><br />And my next question - why was this survey conducted? What were they hoping to prove or disprove? What are the outcomes intended to influence? What a ridiculous question – patients have no clue how to translate such a question to their own experience.

I do have a question – this is a Kaiser survey…. how does Kaiser pay its doctors?

And my next question – why was this survey conducted? What were they hoping to prove or disprove? What are the outcomes intended to influence?

]]> By: Elisabethhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-91185 Elisabeth Wed, 06 May 2009 12:45:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-91185 Sounds much like our education system - every teacher is paid the exact same amount (on a schedule of years of service), and it doesn't matter what the quality of their content is. Oh, except for bonuses for test scores, which leads to "teaching to the test" (or cherry picking patients that will have good outcomes). Leads to one thing - currently the students who can't hack it in their preferred discipline decide, "ah, I'll just go into eduction."<br /><br />Is that the student you want treating your cancer? Sounds much like our education system – every teacher is paid the exact same amount (on a schedule of years of service), and it doesn’t matter what the quality of their content is. Oh, except for bonuses for test scores, which leads to “teaching to the test” (or cherry picking patients that will have good outcomes). Leads to one thing – currently the students who can’t hack it in their preferred discipline decide, “ah, I’ll just go into eduction.”

Is that the student you want treating your cancer?

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-91183 Anonymous Wed, 06 May 2009 01:09:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-91183 The question doesn't even mention doctors' salaries. The question only asks whether patients want to pay doctors a flat fee each year for their care, or if they want to pay up each time they go to the doctor. And of course patients are notoriously optimistic about their health and don't want to pay for visits that they don't perceive as needed.<br /><br />A "yearly amount" does not necessarily guarantee a fixed amount (salary); a doctor could take on more patients and work longer hours to increase his/her yearly income. The question doesn’t even mention doctors’ salaries. The question only asks whether patients want to pay doctors a flat fee each year for their care, or if they want to pay up each time they go to the doctor. And of course patients are notoriously optimistic about their health and don’t want to pay for visits that they don’t perceive as needed.

A “yearly amount” does not necessarily guarantee a fixed amount (salary); a doctor could take on more patients and work longer hours to increase his/her yearly income.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-91182 Anonymous Wed, 06 May 2009 01:05:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-91182 i would love to be on salary, get out of work on time, call only when you are actually on call. end of the day I'm done.<br /><br />sounds great... i would love to be on salary, get out of work on time, call only when you are actually on call. end of the day I’m done.

sounds great…

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-91177 Anonymous Tue, 05 May 2009 23:07:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-91177 Why do we always have the people who have immigrated here from the more socialist European countries because they are so economically stagnant trying to import the very value that made them that way. <br /><br />Uwe is a brilliant ma--but he is at heart a collectivist and advocates collectivist solutions. If you impose a collectivist solution on an individualistic society, it will not work--no matter how well it works in places where the populace is so inclined. In fact it will fail dramatically. Why do we always have the people who have immigrated here from the more socialist European countries because they are so economically stagnant trying to import the very value that made them that way.

Uwe is a brilliant ma–but he is at heart a collectivist and advocates collectivist solutions. If you impose a collectivist solution on an individualistic society, it will not work–no matter how well it works in places where the populace is so inclined. In fact it will fail dramatically.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-91176 Anonymous Tue, 05 May 2009 23:04:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-91176 When I worked in a clinic on salary and it took me a while to figure it out but I eventually did, at which time I:<br /><br />Fired the patients I didn't like.<br /><br />Filled up my schedule with patients I did like.<br /><br />And closed my practice to new patients.<br /><br />Worked for me.<br /><br />Even better are the people who book and don't show up--crossword puzzle time. When I worked in a clinic on salary and it took me a while to figure it out but I eventually did, at which time I:

Fired the patients I didn’t like.

Filled up my schedule with patients I did like.

And closed my practice to new patients.

Worked for me.

Even better are the people who book and don’t show up–crossword puzzle time.

]]> By: jrlhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-91174 jrl Tue, 05 May 2009 18:58:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-91174 With regards to the salaried doc, I think your point supports the other posters. If your clinic is full, what incentive do you have to add new patients? For many (most?), that would be none. <br /><br />I've experienced this sort of healthcare as a military dependent. When you can get it, the care is great as the docs spend time with you, etc. (as long as they don't have their head buried in the EMR). However, I've had innumerable instances of trying to get an appointment and there being none available. With regards to the salaried doc, I think your point supports the other posters. If your clinic is full, what incentive do you have to add new patients? For many (most?), that would be none.

I’ve experienced this sort of healthcare as a military dependent. When you can get it, the care is great as the docs spend time with you, etc. (as long as they don’t have their head buried in the EMR). However, I’ve had innumerable instances of trying to get an appointment and there being none available.

]]> By: Kipperhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-91173 Kipper Tue, 05 May 2009 18:46:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-91173 12:26 Anonymous: That's an interesting point, isn't it? If a typical "motivated" PCP can only afford to spend 15 minutes or less with a patient now, and can't afford to do unconventional, unpaid patient contacts (e.g. email), doing "less" work could well result in an improvement in quality of care for the reduced number of patients. 12:26 Anonymous: That’s an interesting point, isn’t it? If a typical “motivated” PCP can only afford to spend 15 minutes or less with a patient now, and can’t afford to do unconventional, unpaid patient contacts (e.g. email), doing “less” work could well result in an improvement in quality of care for the reduced number of patients.

]]> By: Duncan Crosshttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid.html#comment-91171 Duncan Cross Tue, 05 May 2009 17:54:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/05/patients-do-not-want-their-doctors-paid-on-salary.html#comment-91171 This wasn't a survey of "patients"; it was a survey of "representative Americans". Not all or even most Americans appreciate the deficits of our health care system as much as those of us who actually need and use that system regularly. This wasn’t a survey of “patients”; it was a survey of “representative Americans”. Not all or even most Americans appreciate the deficits of our health care system as much as those of us who actually need and use that system regularly.

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