Angry doctor may need outside help
Dear Dr. Gott: What do you think about a family physician who has no emotional restraint?
For example, if he has a grudge against another local physician, he won’t cooperate with him even though he’s part of a team of physicians committed to patients’ care.
If he’s having a bad day, he’ll go into a tirade and start lecturing a caregiver, only to apologize later, and his records are full of compliments about this caregiver that are never communicated.
His care of the patient is flawless and proactive, and we hate to fire him, but his lack of emotional control is tremendously concerning.
Do physicians have personality disorders like oppositional defiance or temper tantrums? Are physicians required to have continuing education and therapy, because it seems like this is a classic example of a talented individual gone over the edge.
Dear Reader: Doctors, being human, suffer the same medical disorders and emotional problems that patients do. However, when such behavior interferes with patient comfort and care, the situation must be addressed.
If your family physician’s behavior is unprofessional and he is a member of a medical group, you should share your concerns with another doctor in the group. If, on the other hand, your physician is in solo practice, the situation is more complicated.
I am assuming that you are not a psychiatrist; therefore, your options are limited. No doctor relishes receiving unsolicited advice from a nonprofessional about an attitude adjustment. Yet this might be what your doctor needs.
First of all, do not discuss your concerns with him when he is in a foul mood. Wait until he is emotionally neutral, such as at the beginning of an office call, and approach the problem by saying: “I am not a psychiatrist. However, you appear to have some tension (stress, fearfulness, dissatisfaction) that concerns me. While I trust your medical judgment and admire your knowledge, your oppositional behavior is affecting me and, I suppose, your other patients as well. How can we resolve this problem?”
If the doctor meets the challenge and agrees to seek professional help, good for you. If, on the other hand, he takes umbrage at your suggestion and progresses into a tantrum, leave the office and telephone the county medical society to lodge a complaint.
Your complaint may be one of dozens filed against him that sooner or later may force him to get help. In any case, your action could be his first step in dealing with a serious problem that other people have been reluctant to acknowledge.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my health report “Choosing A Physician.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.