In the first study, researchers analyzed six scenarios, involving a demanding patient; an aggressive patient; a patient questioning the physician’s competence; a patient ignoring a physician’s advice; a patient with low expectations; and a helpless patient. Researchers labeled diagnoses as simple or complex, and asked 63 family practice medical residents to diagnose.
Here are three insights from the first study.
1. Despite case complexity, diagnostic accuracy proved lower for difficult patients, compared to neutral patients.
2. Residents demonstrated a 42 percent greater chance of misdiagnosing a difficult patient, compared to a neutral patient.
3. Residents spent the same amount of time with difficult and neutral patients.
In the second study, 74 residents dealt with the same scenarios as the first study, in addition to a patient threatening a physician and a patient accusing a physician of discrimination.
Here are three observations from the second study.
1. The study revealed a 20 percent decrease in diagnostic accuracy for difficult patients.
2. The researchers concluded difficult patients cause “resource depletion.” That is, physicians use more energy dealing with disruptive patients, taking away from their focus on clinical information processing.
3. The researchers wonder if the results would change if experienced physicians, instead of residents, participated in the study.
More articles on practice management:
Texas Spine & Joint Hospital joins multiple BCBS of Texas networks: 4 key takeaways
6 observations of the ACA’s impact on healthcare startups
5 key thoughts on social media for physicians
