Hello List serve,
I know we all have different issues with other practices here and there and
I can let much of it go without saying anything but when it comes to lies
being told to patients I do have an issue.
I am writing to see how others have handled situations successfully when
things are being said/ done against our code of ethics without having to
hopefully become a issue with ABC or medicare.
Lies that patients have told me were said to them in person or on a
voicemail that I have heard include “you don’t want to go to a private
small company like ___ because they will bill you for adjustments that we
won’t” as well as “don’t go to ____ we will give you things that she can’t
like we will tattoo your prosthesis however you’d like”
I have considered going directly to the competitor, or go to the physician
that is at this “clinic” that it occurred and inform those involved that
this is unethical and untrue, or other options that I do not want to do
that are higher up. I understand completely we all feel we are the best and
we all are making a living but can we not lie to patients. I tell each
patient I see that they have a choice, obviously I would love to treat them
but they are able to interview and meet as many prosthetists as they want
before moving forward. I believe your work should speak for itself and you
should not be having to tell lies to get a patient. Yes this is
frustrating to me as you can tell, so I apologize for being long winded.
Let’s all be decent humans with ethics and not lie to patients.
Ok, thank you and I would be very interested in how others have handled
this successfully with out ruining someones livelihood, disrupting the
professionalism, or effecting patients.
Brittany Stresing, CPO FAAOP
