- Medicine is currently the most prestigious profession in society.
- Having to deal with angry patients is one of the most common barriers physicians face.
- Most of the time the discomfort is generated by the waiting time, although it is a problem in which the doctors are not to blame.
To be a health professional it is necessary to be prepared to face various scenarios. What everyone wants is for the working days to go smoothly but most of the time this is not the case. Actually there are many adversities that are repeated and one of the most frequent is having to attend to angry patients.
All the difficulties that a doctor must face
The work inside the office implies a strong concentration to avoid the distractions that take time. Also, one of the biggest forms of disrespect is not paying attention to the person in front of you.
Similarly, something quite typical of the medical service is that there is rarely time available. Most of the time you have to carry out various activities and even a consultation does not end when the patient leaves the office. You must also comply with the filling of the file.
With this in mind, although doctors are highly regarded by society, within practice days are not perfect. Having to deal with angry patients is quite complicated because there is no way you can fall for their aggression game because it can create an even bigger problem.
What do patients say when they are angry?
Based on the above, the user @Med4Dummiess_ made a post to identify the most common phrases dissatisfied patients say to their doctors. The first and one of the most common was “For me you swallow” but when reading the answers you can read others that perhaps you have also heard in your days.
— RESCUING THE ENARM 🚨 (@Med4Dummiess_) January 27, 2023
Others that they mention are related to the patients’ demand to receive antibiotics despite the fact that many times they do not require them. In fact, it is one of the reasons why antimicrobial resistance has increased in recent years.
While another user said another quite true: “You have to come here dying to be taken care of, right?” In this case, especially within public health, waiting times that are too long to be able to go to a consultation prevail. But although patients think that it is the doctor’s fault, in reality everything is generated from above.
The previous reason is related to another sentence: “I’m going to be dead by the time my appointment comes.” In this case, the problem arises because public hospitals do not have enough capacity to instantly care for all the patients who require it.
In addition, it is also one of the reasons that has driven the proliferation of offices attached to pharmacies. They not only offer a cheap service but it is also fast. That is why more and more IMSS and ISSSTE beneficiaries prefer to go to this type of place.
And finally there is another phrase that angry patients say and it is quite true: “Paracetamol does nothing for me.” Although to date there are jokes towards this medicine, it is actually useful. The supposed loss of efficacy is generated when the patient does not follow the indications correctly. From the dose to the periodicity in which you must take the pills are very important to achieve proper functioning.
For now, in your case, what other phrases have you heard from angry patients?
Also read:
Doctor suggests causing a thrombosis to AMLO and causes the anger of his colleagues
The countries with the worst levels of emotional health in the world
Negative aspects of working as a doctor in the public sector
