To the Editor:

I read with great anticipation and curiosity Dr. John Giannone’s article [“Open Access as an Alternative to Patient Combat,” January 2003, page 65] on his experience with creating an open-access system in his office. I have spoken with many colleagues, and they have mixed opinions. I must offer that I could have reliably predicted negative responses (and the positive ones, as well) based on what I knew of my colleagues’ personality types and expectations.

I do not have open access in my office yet, but I plan to soon. I also plan to borrow heavily from the expertise of my other chosen profession, which is psychiatry. Any shrink worth his or her weight knows that the best way to modulate (or mollify) patients’ angst and complaints is to see them more frequently, rather than less.