A Quick Guide To Dealing With Difficult Patients

Whether you are running a dental or aesthetic medicine practice, you will always encounter patients who will out your patience to the test. More often than not, these patients are always angry, rude and uncooperative. Extreme cases may include handling manipulative, clingy and self-harming people.

The first and most important thing you need to do as a care provider is to draw the line between a patient and their behaviour. This is going to be hard, especially if you know that you have low tolerance are rather impatient. Understand that something else is causing your patients to behave that way. For instance, a patient’s moods may go haywire if they are afraid and anxious because it is their first time to undergo Botulinum Toxin treatment.

Nevertheless, there are some strategies to deal with difficult patients:

Recognise Looming Signs of Irritation

Be sensitive to red flags when talking to your patient. Identify the signs of a bad mood before the situation goes beyond your control. When you start noticing such indications, lead the conversation elsewhere. Give your patients every assurance that things are going to be fine. If this is not possible, neutralise the situation by offering alternatives.

Choose Your Words and Listen Carefully

Communication is important in building a healthy provider-patient relationship. It should go two ways. But if your patient is not cooperating, take the initiative. Choose your words carefully. Confusion leads to arguments and similar interactions, so make sure that your patients easily understand the things you explain. Let them know that you are listening, and look for ways to compromise, as long as there is nothing critical on the line.

Protect Yourself

Keep yourself safe, especially if you are dealing with aggressive and combative patients. If something adverse happens during the consultation, document it as soon as possible. This will become part of the patient’s record. This will also protect you from legal threats.

These are only some of the things you need to keep in mind if you happen to accommodate a difficult patient. Stay as professional as possible; restrain yourself from diving into the argument. For more information on running an aesthetic or clinical practice, check our blog section regularly.

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