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This is our monthly introduction to e-Patients.net, blog of the Society for Participatory Medicine. Follow the Society on Twitter (@S4PM), Facebook, and LinkedIn. Here’s how to become a Society member, individual or corporate.
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- This blog is e-patients.net. Subscribe via RSS or email, tweets etc.
- Our open-access journal is the Journal of Participatory Medicine (Twitter: @JourPM)
“Participatory Medicine is a movement in which networked patients shift from being mere passengers to responsible drivers of their health, and in which providers encourage and value them as full partners.”
Additional resources:
- Our manifesto: the e-Patient White Paper (PDF), in English and Spanish
- The Society’s member list, board and officers, and member listserv archives (open access)
- Our founders
- Guidelines for submitting guest posts about participatory medicine, for this blog
- Author guidelines for submissions to the Journal of Participatory Medicine
- Wikipedia pages for participatory medicine and e-patient
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- Volunteering: volunteer@
participatorymedicine.org - Blog: blog@participatorymedicine.org
- As a Society blog, we do not accept unsolicited guest posts from non-members. See our Guest Posts page.
- General information: info@participatorymedicine.org
Welcome!
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On the Food Channel, there is a program called “Restaurant Stakeout”. Such a program geared toward medical practices would, I’m sure, be enlightening. Too often medical staff responsible for answering patient phone calls fall far short in not only answering in-coming calls but, when answered, are curt in speaking with patients and/or don’t even forward the message to the doctor. As an R.A. and cancer patient, I am filled with anxiety over merely having to contact my doctor’s office. As often as not, the phones are not answered or my message is not delivered to my doctor.
Dealing with an illness is difficult enough. Rude and unresponsive staff literally adds insult to injury. I wonder if doctors have ever tried calling their practices, using only the phone number and automated voice options available to patients, to evaluate their staff’s responsiveness and demeanor.
I realize patients have the option of switching doctors, which I have done in the past only to discover similar behavior in other practices. I can think of no other industry in which customer service is of the utmost importance. What a shame doctors and their staff don’t feel the same.