Privacy might be dead in a lot of places, but it shouldn't be in the doctor's office, writes patient Leslie Anne Tarabella on the Alabama-based web site AL.com.
Physician offices need to ensure patient privacy, Tarabella says, providing some food for thought from a patient's perspective. Doctors can start with their office sign-in sheets where anyone can see where a patient has been and wonder why he or she needed to see a physician.
While the HIPAA privacy law requires physicians protect patient privacy, Tarabella suggests another reason to ensure your patients feel comfortable: it's a reason to keep them coming back. "I'll patronize the doctor offices who pledge allegiance to my privacy ... with dignity and modesty for all," Tarabella writes.
So here's some of Tarabella's pet peeves that you might want to rethink:
The loud receptionist. Do members of your office staff shout out personal questions to patients from behind the window into the waiting room full of people who can hear the details? As we've reported before, physicians who want to see good patient satisfaction scores need to ensure that they and their staff don't treat patients rudely.
The dreaded weigh-in. Have you moved the scale into the hallway where anyone walking by can glance over? If you don't want to have a scale in each exam room, be sure it's in a private location.
Open concept care. A friend told Tarabella about a chiropractor's office that converted to an "open concept" space where all the tables are lined up in a row and visible to everyone waiting for their appointment. Despite an explanation from the chiropractor that her new office design was "advantageous to everyone's health goals," Tarabella says her friend walked out and has never returned.
To learn more:
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