"Patients need to be their own advocates" is the comment shared with me during a meeting in 2017. Dr. Google has become the the world's top medical consultant, and rightfully so. The healthcare system is thick with abuse, and I'm not talking about fraud. I'm talking about consumer abuse. Consumers are not treated with the respect they deserve. Unnecessary procedures, surprise bills and cost, and a complete lack of cost transparency qualify as abuse of consumers to me.
And thus the solution has become to "be their own advocates". Yes, this is important. But, let's be honest, should this burden really be placed on patients? No! To start with, neither the average person nor Dr. Google be adequately qualified to make appropriate decisions regarding care. This burden belongs on healthcare providers.
Each person and presentation are unique. At CICN we are data junkies. We rely on data to come to the right care decisions. We aggregate so much data and push it to our providers that it makes our heads spin. Data has created a system with impressively predictable and efficient outcomes. But, as hard as we've tried, it does not replace doctors. Experience and intuition matter. Listening to a complex story matters. And thus, algorithms and digital messaging boards fail.
Doctors must be the patients most prominent advocate. And how do you do that in a system plagued with "abuse"? You make transparency a policy.
CICN uses its data to push clinical decision support to our doctors. Our doctors share this data with patients. Once a diagnosis is made CICN doctors can share average visits to resolution, average case cost, outcome expectations, what percentage do not resolve, and much more. CICN doctors also share their outcomes versus others for your particular diagnosis. This allows you to make a decision regarding your care.
CICN has a robust accountability program that CICN doctors engage in. Superb outcomes are expected. This accountability program is powerful, and effective. But, you know what is even more effective? The burden of expectation put on the shoulders of CICN doctors through transparency. And, we welcome that burden. Come visit a CICN clinic and place the burden of expectations on us.
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