u/ibcurious

The prototypic example would be the Buddha's core teachings. Most people ascribe suffering to their life situation, poor luck, other people, lack of money, and so on. The Buddha stated that suffering is caused by attachment to things that change and are impermanent, characterized by cravings and aversions.

In healthcare, people think their chronic pain, overwhelm, and stress is caused by poor luck, their life situation, not finding the right magic bullet, genetics, and so on. In many cases, the root cause is poor health literacy - broadly defined as not understanding how the body works, not understanding how the medical system/medical science works, not understanding the intricacies of their mind/ego structure, etc.

I am looking for a word that encapsulates this sense of a fundamental misunderstanding.

I'm an integrative healthcare provider who often refers patients for massage. Recently, I've become aware of this whole tipping side of massage, which is causing some friction.

A big part of this the optics. When I refer to a physical therapist, chiropractor, occupational therapist, or physiatrist, I don't have to worry about the patient having to grapple with tipping culture and expectations (at least in my area), even in a cash pay situation. It's a professional exchange.

Once you start getting into tips, the perception changes both for the patient and the provider. It's like I am referring the patient to a restaurant or a spa. I have patients who are massage therapists, so I understand the toll it takes on their bodies. But it doesn't change the perception because other physical medicine practitioners face similar challenges and don't require tips.

The problem on my end is compliance. The more friction and the most cost there is in a situation, the less likely the patient will follow through. On top of that, if I, as a provider, have to wade through finding massage therapist who, for example, own their own business and are less likely to require tips, that also creates friction.

For these reasons, I am looking for guidance on how to frame a massage referral so that the patient will follow through and not be caught off guard, like I was, when they find out there could be some tipping expectations.