as cognisant as the doctors, nurses and
physician assistants who spend more
time eyeball to eyeball with the patients,
to the potential for patients to become
anxious, uncomfortable and psychologically
disoriented in the medical environment.
SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE THE
DIFFICULT PATIENT?
clients/patients may tell one to three others
about their positive experience with you and
your practice
to create for all of your patients. You want
them to have a favorable experience from
the time they make the phone call to make
an appointment until they pay their bill and
leave the practice.
existing patients and potential new patients
about their negative experience with your
practice
even the most difficult patient ends up with
a positive experience, and that whatever the
patient perceived that was unfavorable does
not happen again.
experience
and a big mouth can impact hundreds of
others with their negative experience. I am
reminded of a lady that had a problem paying
for durable medical goods and was upset that
we asked her to pay for the goods since her
insurance would not cover their cost. She
probably told several hundred people about
how mercenary and avaricious Dr Baum
is. I would have gladly given her catheters
for a long time to avoid the damage and
embarrassment that she caused!
of the healthcare system
directions, and thus their outcomes are less
than optimal. Also, the dissatisfied patient is
more likely to litigate against the physician
for the unhappy experience or the patient's
less-than-optimal outcome from a procedure
or test
been shown that those doctors who reported
having more difficult patient encounters
were 12 times more likely to report
burnout than those reporting fewer
difficult encounters
BE CONFRONTED WITH
A DIFFICULT PATIENT
with a difficult patient?
Just as there are signs and symptoms
associated with various diseases and
conditions, there are signs that you may have
or may create a dissatisfied patient.
expected or more rapidly than usual, then
you must modulate and soften your voice
and speak slower. Watch the body language.
Look for signs for agitation, such as wringing
of the hands or tapping of the feet, which is a
sign of impatience.
you are dealing with a dissatisfied patient.
A furrowed brow or distended jugular vein
indicates anxiety and tension. A patient
who is in a defensive position, such as with
crossed arms, will often provide clues about
the intense conversation that is about to take
place. Pay attention to the breathing pattern.
A restricted breathing pattern or sighing is
an indication that the patient is upset.