I
ssues and
P
eople
Reviewnotesprior tomeetingwith the
patient.
Bepreparedand informedas
youdon’twant to retrigger anangry
patient bymaking them think, “You really
don’t knowwhat’sgoneonwithme?”
Provideopportunity forwrittenand
verbal complaints.
Thisgives the
patient a lot of choice,which is really
good; anything that gives thepatient
somechoicewill de-escalate theanger.
Call thepolice.
Thenumber of people
who suggested this tactic suggests that
healthcareproviders, understandably,
don’t like toengage inconflict. However,
this shouldbeconsideredanoption if the
personhas aprior historyof violenceor if
their behaviour is threatening. Trust your
judgement.
Trainstaff inprevention.
Workwith
staffaheadof timeby talkingabout
similar scenarios and the importance
of goodcommunicationwithpatients.
Fulfilanethicalobligation.
Some talked
aboutanethical obligation tocomplete
unfinished care andbe available for the
patient. Even if youdodismiss thepatient,
let them know that until they find anew
dentist, youareavailable foremergencycare.
Keepgooddocumentation.
Dentists
talkedabout the importanceof keeping
gooddocumentationand reporting to
yourmalpracticeor licensingbody if an
incident has takenplace inyour office.
Canyou recommendgood
resourceson communicating in
health care settings?
Thesewebsites andbookshavegreat tips for
dealingwithangrypeople:
�
hpso.com/resources/article/3.jsp
�
mindtools.com/pages/article/dealing-with-
angry-people.htm
�
ToughQuestions,GreatAnswers: Responding
toPatientConcernsAboutToday’sDentistry
,
Edition1, byRobinWright (Quintessence,
1997).
a
This interviewhasbeeneditedandcondensed.
Theviewsexpressedarethoseoftheauthoranddonotnecessarilyreflectthe
opinionsorofficialpoliciesoftheCanadianDentalAssociation.
To see the full interview,
visit
To read the full scenario
thatwaspresented todentists,
visit
To see the replies fromdentists,
visit
