| October 2005 · Vol. 17, No. 10 CASE-BASED LEARNING
Defusing the angry patient
Some patients “boil over,” others simmer silently. Specific tactics lessen the likelihood of legal action
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Fast Track
The correct response to anger is empathy, heartfelt if at all possible
Set an appointment to talk over her concerns
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Allow 2 hours
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Don’t sit behind a desk
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Ensure security
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Rehearse what you’ll say
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Don’t delay
It may take 2 hours of talking or longer for extreme anger to soften
Admitting your mistakes may make the patient angrier, but it also lessens the risk of litigation
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James
R.
Woods
Jr,
MDHenry A. Thiede Professor & Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry,
Rochester, NY Patricia
A.
Bennett,
PhDSenior Instructor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry,
Rochester, NY Fay
A.
Rozovsky,
JD, MPHVice President and Manager, Health Care Risk Management, Chubb Specialty Insurance,
Simsbury, Conn
Forego anger and save yourself 100 days of trouble, the Chinese proverb advises. If only it were that simple. Consider the angry patient, possibly the most feared and least understood of all patients. Effective risk management goes far beyond things that stand to reason, such as “listening.”
The cases below show why patients get angry, what clues signal anger, what to say, and what not to say. But the focus throughout is how to prepare yourself and your staff to defuse the angry patient, from the first encounter through the essential follow-up: the office visit that you set up specifically to address her anger and reduce the risk of legal action.
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