Demanding Patient

Abstract

Physicians encounter many patients in their daily practice often described as difficult patient. However, there is no specific consensus on the classification of these patients which physicians describe as difficult patient. However, it seems possible to describe patients as 'insistent', 'demanding' or 'persistent' when they force the physicians or have the physicians force other medical staff to conduct some operations and investigations. Such patients decribed in this paper are listed under the heading of ‘demanding patient'. In demanding behavior, the patient's insistence, distrustful approach, and repeated requests continues despite the physician's explanation. Demanding behavior can occur for a variety of reasons. The most significant factors in the occurrence of demanding behavior are the patient's personality traits and ability to cope with stress. However, the physician's appearance and behavior may also increase the patients' demanding behavior. Another dimension of the issue is the coping ability of the physician when faced demanding patient. Physicians who try to cope with demanding patients should approach their patients by taking into account their own personality traits and the patient's biopsychosocial characteristics.

Keywords

• demanding patient
• difficult patient
• doctor–patient interaction