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Monday, October 8, 2007
Breaking up is hard to do
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Conflict in the doctor-patient relationship can be painful and time-consuming for both sides. There is little guidance available for patients, families, and doctors about how to manage these difficult situations.
Some doctors and communication specialists say disputes are occurring more often as patients and families - encouraged to be critical consumers who take control of their medical care - research treatment options and become more opinionated about care, an approach that can cause old-school physicians to bristle. Sometimes, patients and families go too far, making excessive demands, or crossing boundaries.
At the same time, doctors are more pressed for time, making lengthy conversations inherently difficult for both sides.
Have you ended a patient-doctor relationship? What caused the rift?
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