The problem patient as perceived by family physicians

Area of Science:

• Family Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Medical Education

Background:

• Identifying patients who present challenges to healthcare providers is crucial for effective patient care.
• Understanding physician perceptions of 'problem patients' can inform training and practice improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how family physicians, both in training and practice, perceive and identify "problem patients."
• To determine if physician experience or training duration influences these perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Survey data was collected from family physicians regarding their views on "problem patients."
• Participants included physicians in training and those in established practice.

Main Results:

• Both trainee and practicing physicians identified "problem patients" based on vague, functional complaints and psychiatric symptoms.
• Physician age and years since training did not alter the identification criteria for "problem patients."
• The physician-patient relationship type was not a factor in identifying "problem patients" by either group.

Conclusions:

• Physician perceptions of "problem patients" are primarily linked to symptom presentation, not the therapeutic relationship.
• The consistent identification criteria across experience levels may contribute to difficulties in managing these patient cases.
• Further research into improving physician-patient dynamics for challenging cases is warranted.