News & Knowledge Delaware Handbook: Patient Complaints and Demands A PATIENT IS UNHAPPY WITH OUR PRACTICE AND IS DEMANDING A REFUND. WHAT SHOULD WE DO? The office manager or reception staff will usually be the front line in dealing with disgruntled patients. The manner in which complaints are handled can have an impact on your practice’s malpractice risk. Studies of patient satisfaction suggest that patients value the communication skills of a medical office’s staff even higher than the technical skill of the doctor. When working with dissatisfied patients, we recommend the following steps: Determine to the best of your ability why the patient is unhappy (e.g., excessive wait time, failure to notify of test results, etc.). Apologizing for “system-type errors” may be an “expression or… Are you a Curi member? The full content of this resource is available only to Curi members. Contact us if you are a member but do not have an account yet, or to learn more about becoming a Curi member. Sign in to see full post Curi’s risk mitigation resources and guidance are offered for educational and informational purposes only. This information is not medical or legal advice, does not replace independent professional judgment, does not constitute an endorsement of any kind, should not be deemed authoritative, and does not establish a standard of care in clinical settings or in courts of law. If you need legal advice, you should consult your independent/corporate counsel. We have found that using risk mitigation efforts can reduce malpractice risk; however, we do not make any guarantees that following these risk recommendations will prevent a complaint, claim, or suit from occurring, or mitigate the outcome(s) associated with any of them. READ NEXT August 8, 2023August 8, 2023Patient Satisfaction | Toolkits *New* Patient Satisfaction Toolkit A patient satisfaction survey can help determine if your practice is meeting patient needs, what patients like about your practice, and areas where they believe you can improve. At Curi, we recommend that medical practices regularly conduct surveys to obtain feedback from patients. Read more January 13, 2023March 9, 2023Clinical Care | Patient Management | Patient Satisfaction | Physician Patient Relationship Guidance for Disclosure of Adverse Events Communicating with patients and families after an unexpected adverse outcome can be difficult. A proactive disclosure of an adverse outcome may defuse anger and prevent potential litigation. Read more July 29, 2022February 15, 2023Forms & Templates | Patient Satisfaction | Policy Templates Policy: Managing Patient Complaints Training Education Policy Read more