Complaint Review: Healthquest - Farmington Hills Michigan

Several months ago I became a patient at HealthQuest of Farmington in effort to ease the back pain I have had for several years. I was treated with chiropractic adjustments as well as spinal decompression therapy. I knew that the FDA approved treatment had success rate of about 86%. During the treatment, near the end, I noticed that the pain/symptoms were returning, I had notified the Chiropractors and they adjusted the treatments and told me to try applying more cold compresses.

I wrote the original post after meeting with Dr. Cogan, while I was still quite upset about the situation. I was upset that the symptoms that had almost completely gone had returned and that I had spent a considerable amount of money. (My only income is SS retirement). After talking with Dr. Cogan again, I realize that my anger and frustration was misplaced. I was verbally told and signed documents clarifying that there was no guarantee associated with spinal treatments (as I knew), but I was hopeful that I would have a positive response.

After talking with Dr. Cogan, I also realized that HealthQuest did go beyond what was required to help me improve. They had given me more than the usual number of treatments I was given several additional decompression treatments and chiropractic adjustments without being charged, in effort to improve my condition. Further Dr. Cogan offered to send me to a pain specialist. This was previously suggested to me by an Orthopedic specialist requiring injections of steroids that I refused. I do not have the funds for ie. Acupuncture and it is not covered by insurance. All-in-all my negative post from last year was more a result of my own frustrations with my body and my financial position. I feel bad that I made the initial post and am glad that Dr. Cogan has continued to help me with my back pain.

This letter is written in response to the above report written on March 30, 2013. In over 20 years of practice, I have never received such a complaint. We take great pride in the services we provide to our patients and find it very unfortunate when someone with such ulterior motives goes through these lengths.

 Based on the specificity of his complaint, we were able to find out who this patient was, and we can say with the utmost certainty that this report is inaccurate not only based on our own records, but based on documents he filled out himself where he repeatedly stated his condition was improving.

 Addressing his report, he did come to the office complaining of serious pain on a scale of 10/10. Since then, we treated him repeatedly, thoroughly, and I always maintained consistent and cordial contact with this patient to ensure he was improving and taking the proper steps to maintain the progress. The patient did go through a hiatus, but returned to treatment with us. This patient was never ignored. He sent a letter to us complaining that he was not happy with the treatment he received and demanding money back, but that was well after his latest visit—which, in his writing, stated little to no pain and noticeable improvement.

It became very clear after reviewing his patient charts, and understanding his financial condition, that his ultimate goal was to get money back from our office and not to actually address any grievances he may have about his treatment. In fact, even though his course of treatment was complete, we never refused to see him again. We sent him a very polite letter back, respectfully explaining why we cannot refund his money for services already rendered, how we had gone above and beyond that and not charged him for other services, and how he documented his own progress with his own writing. In that letter, we also welcomed him to call our office so that he can speak with me personally to discuss the matter. Since then, we have never heard back from him, and unfortunately this report was posted online just days after he received our letter welcoming discussion.

We were very cognizant of the patient’s stated financial condition. That is why we have, up to this point, refrained from billing or sending any notices to him for several office visits that are certainly billable, despite his latest actions. However, it has become clear by these actions that his primary concerns have been financial and that complaints about his treatment were merely a pretext to defame us online.

We have documentation of reports of improvement and significantly reduced pain not only by our office, but by the patient’s own handwriting and reports as well. We have chosen not to attach them. We place the patient’s privacy and protecting identifiable information as a high priority. The highest among these priorities remains our commitment to quality patient care, which many of our patients can attest to, quality care that the very same patient who wrote this report received by his own written admission.

Please visit our website and look our company up for other stellar reviews.

-Solomon Cogan, HealthQuest