Verified by Fingering the Lingerers
Reports that American physicians can help prevent the waste of money on unnecessary medical procedures and excessive hospitalization. Contribution of dependent patients to a major portion of the national medical bill; Role of the physician in screening dependent patients; Clues in screening patients.
By Christina Ianzito published July 1, 1995 - last reviewed on June 9, 2016
Americans waste billions of dollars on unnecessary medical procedures andexcessive hospitalization. But while lobbyists, insurance companies, and the government bicker over skyrocketing health costs, physicians can help plug the money drain them-selves--with a personality questionnaire and a watchful eye.
According to Gettysburg College psychologist Robert Bornstein, Ph.D., a major chunk of the national medical bill is due to "dependent patients"--those who are most compliant and suggestible, and who seek approval and reassurance from their docs.
In some ways these patients are a doctor's dream. They are more likely to seek help before a minor medical problem mushrooms into something larger. And they follow doctor's orders when they are treated.
But once admitted to the hospital, they're reluctant to leave. They stay almost twice as long as patients who are more independent decision-makers. They linger because they're comfortable in roles acquiescent to, and reliant on, authority figures.
But dependency is more than a personality quirk; it's a serious accounting issue. Each day a patient loiters in the wards costs a hospital upwards of $800, not including extra tests the patient may request. That translates to higher insurance fees and Medicare costs for the rest of us.
While the trend toward HMOs and other budget-slashing measures will take a bite out of unnecessary hospitalization--regardless of patients's personalities--Bornstein argues that there's more to be done. "Physicians should screen people," he says, "and when someone shows a high level of dependency, treatment should be structured toward a reasonable release time."
While a physician can often glean a patient's dependency status from his initial greeting--a deferential "Hello, sir!" is a good clue--hospitals seeking a more tangible screening tool can employ one of several brief personality questionnaires. If a patient agrees with statements like, "As a child, pleasing my parents was very important to me," it can foreshadow costly lingering to come.
