A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
If the old adage “the pen is mightier than the sword” is true, then the doctor’s note is the most powerful weapon around.
When I entered practice over 25 years ago, I wrote notes when people were too sick or injured to work, or to verify that they could return to work. That was it. The patient would come to the office, get evaluated, and go home with a note.
At some point, people started to expect that they could get the note without coming in for a visit, with just a phone call. I could understand some of those requests — after all, who wants to go to the doctor when they’re having a severe case of gastroenteritis — but how could I attest that the patient was ill enough to go to the doctor without the patient going to the doctor?
Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
No comments:
Post a Comment