The person at the center

On one day, on the same day, two simple and banal episodes happened to me concerning healthcare that made me reflect on the risks we are running for the person at the center. Finally, after many attempts, I managed to request an early appointment over the phone for the condition I needed treatment for. Confirmation of the place and time of the appointment arrived with a text message. Too bad the message also stated that I would have to pay a fee. Strange because I am exempt. My health insurance doctor wrote me a second prescription to highlight the exemption. So I showed up for the appointment and explained the situation: here's what happened that made me think. First the receptionist and then the doctor realized there had been a mistake, but they were unable to trace the service that made the reservation and made the mistake. I proved which cell phone number was used. I received the booking message and which cell phone I called to make the reservation. Nothing at all. No chance. It's a trivial but very serious incident because one of us—that's an understatement!—managed to engineer a system that wouldn't allow us to connect with the service. And whoever receives the prescription can't intervene.

That same afternoon at 7:30 PM I have to go to another hospital for an X-ray. Since I have dinner commitments, I decide to arrive an hour early for the appointment. At worst, I'll wait! When I get to the counter, I'm greeted immediately because there's no one there! I pay my donation—which in this case is due—and immediately go to the X-ray room. At 6:40 PM, everything is over. The doctor thanks me for coming early so she can go home early. I was the last patient. Incredible but true. So no appointments were scheduled in the hours before? Is that possible? I had barely managed to find this opportunity! But why didn't they call me to come early? Are they undisciplined patients who book and don't show up? It's serious because there are other patients who could have benefited from the service. Is it the hospital that can't optimize visits? Even more serious because the costs are there, but the services aren't! And maybe you, the patient, have to wait months to get this service.

Two small examples, banal but demonstrating that putting the person at the center cannot be limited to adopting policies—very important— but it must also translate into everyday actions.

NP June/July '25

Gianfranco Cattai