Patients, Clients, or Customers?

by Tim Brunson PhD

Rarely does a month pass by without me hearing some wizened authority admonishing an audience to refrain from using the word "patients" to describe the people they serve. These cautionary statements have sufficient legal and ethical overtones to scare those present into submission. However, is this really accurate? Is it in the best interests of the public? Have the phobic adherents to self-styled political correctness deviated sufficiently from the realm of linguistic truthfulness to effectively demean the people they serve?

Ridding the word patient of all linguistic ambiguity leaves us with the very clear definition. A patient is one who endures a situation. While too many restrict this to only those upon whom an allopathic medical procedure is to be performed, the word describes a multitude of individuals who may be addressed by the practitioners of a variety of occupations and professions.

The implication here is obvious. Anyone who acts upon another who is undergoing such "enduring" is indeed entering a situation in which the recipient of goods or services hopes to have their "situation" resolved or ameliorated. This justifiably implies that the actor has the appropriate caring attitude. Another synonym for caring is "healing." While this may have allopathic medical implications, fortunately religious traditions as found in the Bible, the Qur'an, the Torah, and other ancient religious beliefs have preempted the ownership of words like healing, caring, and even compassion. As healing refers to both regeneration and repair it has been used consistently to describe the spiritual and mental as well as the physical.

There is somewhat contradictory illogic of the modern "sciences" of medicine and psychology to use or attempt to use the word patient in regards to their subjects. As use of this word implies "compassion", it has always puzzled me that I have yet to find a modern textbook in either of those sciences with that word in their index. Yes, since the Great Plague of 1665, the unfortunate split of the un-holy trinity of mind, body and spirit has created a lasting disassociation.

Although this situation greatly distresses me, over the years I have met many allopathic medical professionals who have a deep compassion for their patients. Their struggle with the realities of oppressive overhead and the insurance requirements have too often prevented some of the best healers in the professions from performing as they wish. Nevertheless, they are healers and the people that they see are patients. But, they are not alone.

There are many healers among us. There are many patients. The mother, whose heart cries out for her ailing child, is in a healer-patient relationship. The neighbor, who brings his lonely friend a hot bowl of soup, is in a healer-patient relationship. And, so are the psychologist, the minister, the massage therapist, and even the clinical hypnotherapist.

The alternative words we use are sometimes shunned as either inappropriate or demeaning to our profession. While my MBA has taught me that anyone for whom you create value is a customer, many in the "healing professions" feel that using that term reduces them to the same level as the temple money changers. But, aren't all health care consumers expecting an appropriate value for their money and therefore customers? And, then there is the term "client", which assumes that we are entering both a superior-subordinate and a fiduciary relationship. Even though I have some problems with the egotistical subordination of others as a component of an encounter, I understand the intent of the term. So, if we get past our defensiveness and misunderstanding, we can realize that the health care consumer is simultaneously a customer, consumer, and a patient.

Today I'm seeing several people. They are coming to me because parts of their lives are preventing happiness. They may be coming after their medical doctor has referred them so that my skills can contribute to their healing. Or, they may be seeing me to simply rid themselves of an unwanted habit. Nevertheless, as they are going to pay for my services and expect value in return, they are customers. As they expect me to subordinate my interests to theirs and they expect to benefit from my years of training and experience, they are clients. But most importantly, as they are enduring situations that they wish to change and they expect my compassion, they are patients. Therefore, I pray that I can live up to their expectations and serve as their healer.

The International Hypnosis Research Institute is a member supported project involving integrative health care specialists from around the world. We provide information and educational resources to clinicians. Dr. Brunson is the author of over 150 self-help and clinical CD's and MP3's.