Challenging patient interactions

There is an abundance of healthcare literature attempting to provide the perfect solution to dealing with ‘difficult patients’.

In fact various continuing professional learning courses attempt at teaching dental professionals on how to manage these challenging situations. The fault in all of this is that these patients are labelled as ‘difficult’ when the fact of the matter is that it is a challenging patient encounter. By categorically labelling a patient ‘difficult’, health professionals attempt to incorrectly put the blame on the patient's attitude in order to resolve the complexity of the interaction itself. In addition, it will predispose all future contact with the given patient with an underlying negative bias, in turn unnecessarily escalating the issue in the future. In the majority of cases, it is not that the patient is purposefully trying to make a situation impossible. In reality, it is their past, their assumptions, their anxiety, unrealistic expectations, language barriers or cultural differences and/or confusion or uncertainty that is leading to the negativity. Therefore, it is paramount to label the patient interaction or encounter as challenging or perhaps even ‘difficult’; with this as a foundation, we are then able to negotiate the situation at hand. This article will succinctly summarise the very realms of a challenging patient and dental professional interaction; suggestions and practical tips are found throughout in order to make the encounter as professional and as smooth as possible. One must remember that a professional, seamless personal approach is best rather than a ‘text book’ standard approach or a confrontational approach.