Acknowledge their feelings, or hand them a tissue if they are crying (you may want to have some handy in your treatment area). It will also give you more time to think about how you will respond and fix the dire situation. For the patient who is routinely 10-15 minutes late, you may say something such as, “I have noticed that you continually show up 10 minutes late. The first step to dealing with a difficult patient is to try to understand what’s causing their behavior. Keep an adequate distance from the patient, but keep away from corners. Mail not sent due to some internal issue. I have come up with 6 strategies to help deal with difficult patients. Remain calm, listen to what they are saying, ask open-ended questions. For the verbally aggressive patient, you may say something such as, “You seem angry. If you take responsibility for your patients' successes and failures, then you are taking responsibility for a lot of things that you have no control over. When you curse, yell, etc, I find it difficult to provide the care that you need.” Again, you need to be clear about what you can and cannot provide in PT. Part of successfully working with patients (whether success is patient outcomes, or your longevity in the profession) is knowing the limitations of what you can provide. Prof. of Family Community Medicine ; June 2011; 2 Objectives. There are several ways to help teach such patients how to better commit: a) get patients’ family on board if they are present, b) have patients repeat their post-op instructions to you before they leave, c) let patients know it is OK to be honest if they are unable or unwilling to do something, and d) explain that you would prefer patients say no rather than leave you with … You are simply a guide. Instead of throwing your hands up, here are eight strategies for dealing with the most common coaching challenges. By being responsible for their successes, it means we are also responsible for their failures. When you are late, it is difficult for me to provide the care that you need. WHEN IT COMES to dealing with difficult patients, Carrie Herzke, MD, clinical director of hospital medicine and assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University, recommends using an acronym that encapsulates several approaches. There may be times when patients are rude or even hostile. Stay calm. If you are fearful, and not comfortable while treating patients, then you're not likely to provide your best care. Psychiatric Management Prompt assessment, treatment and referral 27. Provide them with an opportunity to explain what has angered them. By showing anger, you’ll risk not just losing a patient, but also your precious reputation. You may feel as though you are cutting the patient off, but the patient is there to learn from you in a short amount of time. As for the patient who dominates the discussion with topics other than PT (or starts to cry), let them talk about whatever they want (or cry), for a minute or two. Maybe the patient didn’t have time to do his or her exercises this time around. Alzheimer’s disease causes brain cells to die, so the brain works less well over time. How to Deal with an Angry Patient. Please schedule a meeting with our Practice Consultant to understand your results better. 3. 2. If not, you may consider explaining to the patient what happens when they are late and suggest that they try to find an appointment time that works better with their schedule. You can help patients to physically get better, but they need to be emotionally present and ready for PT. All rights reserved. When a patient states, “I thought that PT would have worked by now,” ask them why. As physical therapists, we are guides, we are teachers, and we are facilitators. If a patient makes you feel unsafe (if you are not sure if a patient makes you feel unsafe, if you are thinking that they may make you feel unsafe - then they probably do), you need to do something about it. Saying the wrong thing to a particular person can escalate a situation quickly and requires a caregiver to remain professional and to be assertive - not aggressive. It will also give you more time to think about how you will respond and fix the dire situation. When confronted with difficult patients… take HEART Hear them out. Additionally, as you question the patient, they may also gain a better understanding of what their limitations are with PT. 5, 2017 Instead, stay calm and weather the storm. While I can help you to recover physically, please know that your emotions and stress can impact your pain levels or motivation for attending PT.” From there, you may ask if the patient has someone that they can talk to regarding their stressors or emotions, whether it is a psychologist, social worker, clergy member, trusted family member, or friend. Reassure them and acknowledge their grievances. While your patient may be saying a lot of things to you, realize that what they are saying is a reflection of themselves, and has very little to do with you. If this is the case, follow up. While I knew that his cuss-filled rants were not directed towards me, they often left me feeling on edge during our sessions. When dealing with difficult patients, the calmer you can be, the calmer your patient is likely to be. Don’t aggravate the angry patient by not listening to him or her. Hard to deal with, manage, or ; overcome, like a difficult … Thank you. When you are working with a patient in PT, you are only experiencing one aspect of their lives. In my practice, I am still working on how I interact with patients (especially difficult ones). Figuring out how to deal with difficult patients in healthcare is one of the most painful parts of running a small medical practice. If your clinic has a policy where you won’t see patients who are more than 15 minutes late, use it. It is not because … Tag Archives: strategies for dealing with difficult patients. When you have a difficult patient that you need to deal with, take care to ensure that you’re projecting confidence. For example, some people may not realize how busy and impacted their schedules are until they are describing what they did the other day. This video has some tips that can help. Your email address will not be published. Once you have specifics, you can address them. From there you can try to modify their home exercise program in favor of exercises that require minimal setup and equipment, or that do not have to be done all together, or all at once. It is hard to satisfy patients who are complaining. Don’t aggravate the angry patient by not listening to him or her. Ask them: Ask them the "whys" of how they feel until you get some specific answers. Realize that it's not you, it's them. Them out indicating that they have may also gain a better understanding of what their limitations are with PT answers! Understand good movement patterns is something where the participant is involved and engaged in their recovery ones.... Question the patient to find a solution and act in their recovery they got better faster the last time saw! We run over our appointment time, my next patient is to try to see consultation. Patient 's mood merely acknowledging the angry patient by not listening to him or her frustration, you may something. 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