[lbo-talk] Patients Are Not Consumers

[B.]

In the Dallas County MHMR ("mental health and mental retardation") there is 
actually a very weird emphasis on calling clients of mental health services not 
client, or patients, but "consumers." As a social work major, that always struck 
me as very weird -- and even tacky or chintzy, or something. I mean come on. The 
colonization of capitalism into ever-increasing spheres of life goes on, I 
suppose.


:((

-B.

----- Original Message ----
From: "123hop at comcast.net" <123hop at comcast.net>
To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
Sent: Sat, April 23, 2011 10:31:53 PM
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Patients Are Not Consumers

Possibly because if you modeled the interchange in a computer program, as you 
often have to do, these would all be clients consuming services. 

And also, so much easier to identify with the buyer aspect of your persona. 

Any other relationship would be tainted with social and historical inferences. 

J. 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Wesley" <godisamethodist at yahoo.com> 

That's the new terminology: We're all "clients", "customers", or "consumers" of 
things! 

Even prison inmates are sometimes referred to as "clients" in Corrections Depts. 

mission/vision statements! 

Mike G 

________________________________ 
From: fernando cassia <fcassia at gmail.com> 
To: lbo-talk <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org> 
Sent: Sat, April 23, 2011 1:27:06 AM 
Subject: [lbo-talk] Patients Are Not Consumers 

"How did it become normal, or for that matter even acceptable, to refer to 
medical patients as “consumers”? The relationship between patient and doctor 
used to be considered something special, almost sacred. Now politicians and 
supposed reformers talk about the act of receiving care as if it were no 
different from a commercial transaction, like buying a car — and their only 
complaint is that it isn’t commercial enough. 

What has gone wrong with us" 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/opinion/22krugman.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

 
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/opinion/22krugman.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB>

 
> 

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