Is It Racist to Pay Doctors Based on Patient Satisfaction?

Take a moment to ask yourself whether any of these categories describe you or someone you love:

• Never had cancer
• Psychologically distressed
• No regular health care provider
• No health insurance
• Lack confidence in self care
• Avoid doctors
• Minority race

If any of these terms describes you or a loved one, then you are statistically more likely to give a doctor a lower client satisfaction score. When a doctor will earn less by treating you than someone else, how long do you think it will be before you start having a hard time finding a primary care appointment?

Last week, the first article in the “Patients Rating Doctors: Let's Pay Popular People More” series discussed how paying doctors on the basis of client satisfaction surveys may actually undermine the care of our most vulnerable patients, as well as entire systems that struggle to address complex issues.

Disclaimer: Identifiable patients mentioned in this post were not served by R. Jan Gurley in her capacity as a physician at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, nor were they encountered through her position there. The views and opinions expressed by R. Jan Gurley are her own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the City and County of San Francisco; nor does mention of the San Francisco Department of Public Health imply its endorsement.

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