Insights and strategies to manage challenging patient encounters

This session will review your responsibilities when dealing with challenging patient situations and help you to prepare for these encounters.

In the pandemic environment and with the health system under pressure, many practices are frequently encountering challenging and confronting patient situations. This can affect all staff from front reception to clinical consultation.  

Appropriate management of these situations is important for your practice’s reputation and business, and for the wellbeing of your staff and patients.  

This session will cover key principles, practical advice, complaint management and advice on ending a doctor-practice-patient relationship.  

Speaker

Ruth Crampton

Ruth has a nursing background and postgraduate qualifications in education. She has published research from her PhD and been the keynote speaker at several international health and nursing conferences. Her education experience has been varied in hospital, university and corporate environments. With a focus on promoting quality, safety and professionalism for the medical profession her role involves coordinating medico-legal education.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this session, you will be able to: 

• explain appropriate preparation and planning required for challenging situations 
• outline key points for management of a variety of difficult patient situations such as aggression, abuse and unrealistic expectations  
• discuss the importance of complaint management and the role all staff play in addressing patient complaints  
• identify and minimise key risks when ending a doctor-patient relationship.