Prudent Physician Anger in Patient-Physician Interactions

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Physician Well-being
• Patient-Physician Communication

Background:

• Conventional medical wisdom advises physicians to suppress anger towards patient misbehavior.
• This approach may neglect the potential benefits of appropriately expressed physician frustration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To challenge the suppression of physician anger.
• To explore conditions under which physician anger may be appropriate and beneficial.
• To advocate for a healthcare culture that allows for authentic emotional expression.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis drawing on person-centred healthcare and virtue ethics.
• Distinguishing between the emotion of anger and its expression.
• Proposing conditions for prudent anger displays.

Main Results:

• Identified four reasons for appropriate physician anger: inevitability, cognitive resource, physician well-being, and patient benefit.
• Proposed five conditions for prudent anger: ethical intention, rational justification, proportionality, constructive expression, and precision.
• Potential benefits include improved physician well-being, enhanced communication, and patient education.

Conclusions:

• Physician anger, when expressed prudently, can be a valuable tool.
• Advocates for a cultural shift in healthcare to allow for more authentic emotional expression.
• Prudent anger can catalyze positive changes in patient-physician relationships and healthcare delivery.