By Ryu Inhong
Doctors and the medical staff face many types of difficult and confrontational patients. Some patients fail to see the irrationality of their demands. Some use whatever means they can to continue pestering or even harassing the medical staff until they get what they want. Some even pretend to be dissatisfied with the result to get a refund on the procedure. This article offers insights on different types of difficult patients, the best way to deal with each type and how to turn confrontational patients into loyal customers.
In the fields of dermatology and plastic surgery, patients are trusting the doctors less and becoming more confrontational and irrational in their demands. Patients can easily access a wealth of information on aesthetic procedures and medical service has become more commercialized. Therefore, more patients tend to become confrontational and irrational in their demands. The real problem of confrontational patients is that they affect other patients in a negative way. When a patient causes enough of a scene at the doctor’s office that even the police are called, other patients would not want to receive treatment there. If a disgruntled patient pickets in front of the doctor’s office, other patients may turn around and choose to receive treatment elsewhere. Therefore, it is critical to be able to resolve the problem of confrontational patients.
To effectively deal with these difficult patients who may cause a scene in the doctor’s office, it would help to first understand the different types of these patients. Knowing them will help devise a better plan to deal with them.
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The problem with subjective interpretation of the treatment outcome
The patients who are so disgruntled that they raise their voice at the doctor’s office may have a valid reason to do so. In such cases, the most common reason is dissatisfaction with the treatment outcome or side effects. Highly discontented patients may return to the doctor’s office to cause a scene as they think this may be more effective than a more civilized form of complaint. Dr. Yoo-jung Kim of WHITskin Dermatology Clinic says the problem lies in subjective assessment of post-treatment side effects.
“For example, we can try additional treatment for post-laser side effects that can be objectively identified, although there is no guarantee of cure. But some patients complain of prickly sensation of unknown causes and even threaten to take the complaint to the court.”
- to be continued
