The 'problem patient': modest advice for frustrated clinicians.

Area of Science:

• Medical Practice
• Clinical Psychology
• Patient-Physician Relationship

Background:

• Rarely encountered,
• problem patients
• consume disproportionate clinician resources.
• Their definition often stems from clinician responses like frustration and self-doubt, rather than specific patient actions.
• This dynamic can negatively impact the doctor-patient relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a guide for identifying and managing patients whose behaviors disrupt the doctor-patient relationship.
• To encourage clinicians to explore the root causes of problematic patient behaviors.
• To prompt reflection on the clinician's role in the disruption of the doctor-patient relationship.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on patient behaviors and clinician responses.
• Analysis of potential etiologies for disruptive patient behaviors.
• Development of a management framework for clinicians.

Main Results:

• Problematic patient behaviors often stem from various underlying, addressable conditions.
• Understanding these etiologies is key to mitigating negative clinician experiences.
• A proactive approach can help preserve the doctor-patient relationship.

Conclusions:

• Clinicians should investigate the origins of disruptive patient behaviors rather than focusing solely on the behaviors themselves.
• Addressing underlying conditions can improve patient management and reduce clinician distress.
• Self-reflection on the clinician's contribution to the dynamic is also crucial.