Doctors Dealing With Difficult Patients

An interesting article, "Difficult Patients," is posted on the Medscape web site at http://www.medscape.com/time/hippocrates/1998/v12.n03/h1203.01.shar.html . The author, David Sharp, discusses the growing problem faced by physicians -- angry, uncooperative, demanding patients. He suggests that physicians replace their emotional indifference, and expectation of patient compliance, with the atttiude of an "empathic partner." Sharp expresses a deep concern about many patients mistrusting the motives of physicians, and many physicians feeling contempt for their difficult patients.

The author seems unaware that more than 70 years ago, a physican named Alfred Adler addressed the doctor/patient relationship and offered masterful recommendations for eliciting doctor/patient cooperation. I posted a response on their Discussion Forum suggesting that physicians could benefit from a study of Adlerian theory and practice, especially a study of our Socratic style of questioning -- an effective, diplomatic strategy for getting to the root of a medical/psychological problem.

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