A 2012 study in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that higher patient satisfaction was associated with higher spending on overall health care and prescription drugs.
Case in point? Antibiotics.
Dashing off an antibiotic prescription is a win-win for some docs & patients. It saves time for docs and makes patients happy.
However, while takes two minutes to write a prescription, it takes 10 to 15 minutes to explain why you don’t need an antibiotic or why you should do the wait-and-watch or try-a natural approach.
These approaches take time and don’t necessarily make parents happy immediately.
What’s more, overuse of antibiotics is linked to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Each year in the U.S., at least two million people become ill because of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So, how does doctor please his patient, keep cost low and yet not resort to quick fixes and more testing?
Thoughts?
