Patients, clients, customers, service users...

[Sergeant Pluck]

How do you, the great unwashed  , like to be referred to by nurses and doctors in the context of attending for clinic visits or investigations?

How do you prefer to be referred to in written information about your investigation, for example? How would you prefer to hear yourselves referred to in the course of a conversation with the staff? Are you a patient, a client, a customer, or do you prefer to be referred to simply as people / persons / individuals? Do you find it objectionable to be referred to as a patient? Do you feel this labels you as a "sick person"?

[Noodley]

I have no problem with being referred to as a "patient" by medical staff.

My line of work has similar "issues" re what to call clients/service users/customers/etc. as they are mostly "involuntary" and under a degree of compulsion to attend, despite having "agreed" to be subject to a court order to attend.

I do feel there is some scope to think about these matters and what impact "labelling" has on the relationship, but I am quite happy to be a "patient" with medical staff.  I do not think it implies I am necessarily sick, although the nature of the realtionship may suggest some degree of ailment....

[MSeries]

Not a problem being the 'patient'. I was a patient today at my physiotherapy, it was great.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I find that reassuring. Where I work (cardiac imaging) patients are routinely referred to as such and I don't think there is a problem with it. Some are undoubtedly very ill, many are not. Personally I don't think the term "labels" people one way or the other apart from the fact that the patients are receiving care or treatment or undergoing a test or scan.
I have no problem being referred to as a patient myself in any health care environment.
The term seems to be disapproved of in some circles where I work and I was puzzled as to the origin of the disapproval. (It seems to emanate from corporate communications types).

[outwith]

I never liked the change from 'passenger' to 'customer' on trains.  I want to be identified as someone trying to travel somewhere, not someone who's only succeeded in handing over money.

[Adam]

Definitely a patient.  Anyone who wants to make sick people become "clients" should be given an enema.

[Frenchie]

Definitely a patient.  Anyone who wants to make sick people become "clients" should be given an enema.

Yep.

[steveB]

I don't care one way or the other.  Patient is what I expect to be called whenever I visit anywhere for medical treatment.  Although I feel more like a customer when I visit the dentist.

I think we all accept without thinking by whatever name we are referred to.

Not so many years ago the only people in teams were in some sort of competition with an opposition, now everyone is in a team of some sort at work, sales team; maintenance team; management team.

The words don't really matter to the punter/customer/patient IMO, it's the service that counts.  

[geraldc]

anything as long as medical staff don't call me the 'subject'. I remember when the dentist would ask me if I'd been a good boy in between check ups. They should bring that back for adults.

[rower40]

Customer, Patient, Client, Victim: all fine by me.
Just don't call me T.F.Bundy

[Basil]

My Dad used to say "You can call me anything you like as long as you don't call me late for dinner."

[Wowbagger]

I received my P60 this week and the letter addressed me as "Dear Pensioner".

[Noodley]

I received my P60 this week and the letter addressed me as "Dear Pensioner".

 

[Pingu]

Sir

[Sergeant Pluck]

I received my P60 this week and the letter addressed me as "Dear Pensioner".

Oh dear 

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

We had this debate here a few years ago and one of the consultant neurologists - a couthy Glasgwegian - put an end to the client/patient argument by saying "there's twa professions hae clients - that's lawyers and hoors." 

There's a move in some local authorities to call the residents of that areas "customers" which I hate. Customers have a choice. You don't have a choice of which local authority provides your services you're stuck with the one you live in and the only way to change that is to move. And certainly many social work clients are receiving input against their will as compelled by law, so the notion of customer is ridiculous.

[Regulator]

I am a patient - plain and simple...

[alan]

I am a patient - plain and simple...

I too am plain & simple. I prefer to be regarded as a patient .

[Sergeant Pluck]

This is confirming what I already know from patients themselves, but it's good to hear it from people that aren't already in a hospital department being asked while being treated.

Our communications department seem to think otherwise at times. 

"there's twa professions hae clients - that's lawyers and hoors."

 

[Adrian]

I am a patient - plain and simple...

Is that not more usually spelt pedant?

[Regulator]

I am a patient - plain and simple...

Is that not more usually spelt pedant?

[Looks for the two finger smiley]

[diapsaon0]

I loathe the term "service users"    I'd rather be a patient when I'm in hospital, a  customer in a shop, a client at the solicitor's and a bloke the rest of the time.

N

[slowfen]

Having had similar problems when working on wards, the terms "punter" and "victim" would wind-up those who were trying to remove that henious label of patient

[Gandalf]

When I had my vasectomy, post op  I was referred to as a 'Jaffa'.

[border-rider]

"The sub-healthy community"