Citation

Ward M, Cook S. Med. Clin. North Am. 2022; 106(4): 689-703.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.mcna.2022.01.009

PMID

35725234

Abstract

Difficult patient encounters are common in clinical practice, with many arising from patient hostility owing to a breakdown in communication and the health care alliance. Patient anger may be a manifestation of fear, grief, or discontent with prior experiences in the health care system, but there may also be contributions from specific patient, physician, or situational factors. Physicians may intervene with specific actions based on these individual factors, while focusing on self-reflection to better understand their part in creating a hostile physician-patient dyad.

Language: en

Keywords

Communication; Anger; Active listening; Countertransference; Hostility; Therapeutic alliance