Difficult Patient-Clinician Encounters Quiz

Difficult Patient-Clinician Encounters

• 15-20% of adult patient encounters involve difficult patient-clinician encounters.

Consequences of Difficult Encounters

• Clinicians may feel frustrated after difficult patient-clinician encounters.

Labeling Difficult Patients

• Patients are often labeled as 'difficult' based on their behavior, such as being demanding, non-adherent, or having unmet expectations.

Contributing Factors

• Factors that contribute to difficult clinical encounters include:
  • Clinician factors: lack of communication skills, time constraints, and burnout
  • Patient factors: complex medical conditions, mental health issues, and unrealistic expectations
  • System factors: high workload, inadequate resources, and poor continuity of care

Challenging Patient Groups

• Patients who may make a doctor-patient relationship difficult include:
  • Those with substance abuse issues
  • Those with psychiatric disorders
  • Those with chronic pain
  • Those with complex, multi-morbid conditions
  • Those from diverse cultural backgrounds with language or cultural barriers