Eyeworld

14 Ophthalmology Business • March 2018 ence, Mr. Patel said. "Experienced physicians have a better manner in managing emotions and handling communications and relations emphatically. This skill is critical in driving patient satisfaction." A more emotionally intelligent approach is helpful for physicians of any age, even if the complaints from a patient do not directly relate to pa- tient care, Dr. Sternberg said. He gave the example of a patient who com- plains about a bad parking situation at the practice. The ophthalmologist could respond by acknowledging the problem and letting the person know that free valet parking is available, or he or she could gloss over the patient's complaint. "With which response do you think the patient will be more upset?" Dr. Sternberg said. Naturally, patients who don't feel heard would be more likely to escalate their complaint. Dr. Sternberg wants ophthal- mologists to reflect on something positive from their study. "It's important that more than half of the ophthalmologists [in the study] had no reported complaints over many years. That's pretty amazing," he said. OB Reference 1. Fathy CA, et al. Association between ophthal- mologist age and unsolicited patient com- plaints. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2018;136:61–67. Editors' note: The sources have no finan- cial interests related to their comments. Contact information Chung: nfarano@youreyes.org Patel: AMoscucci@nevinspr.com Sternberg: paul.sternberg@vanderbilt.edu to develop a strong sense of the difference between good medicine and happy patients. "Be sensitive to patients' response to you, always self-examine your actions, and if you get resistance from patients, don't try to push the right medical decisions; instead, try to facilitate a second opinion or transfer of care," Dr. Chung recommended. Some patients will be difficult and eager to complain no matter what you do, he added. Pearls, perspectives for mid-career and late-career physicians Dr. Chung wonders if older ophthal- mologists are a bit more shielded against complaints and if that point comes out in the study. "Mistakes made by older physicians are often ignored or protected by peers and the medical system," he said. Still, every- one makes mistakes that could lead to patient complaints, he said. One obstacle with many physi- cians as they advance in their career is that they may be less open to recognizing a need for self-correction, Dr. Sternberg said. This may require healthcare organization leaders to be more thoughtful in how they provide feedback based on complaints. Keep- ing feedback in the greater context of continuous improvement—where organizations aim to lower adverse outcomes and decrease malpractice risk—is helpful, Dr. Sternberg said. This also requires some humil- ity, said Dr. Chung, who describes himself as a mid-career physician. "Experience doesn't make you mis- take-proof. Always be careful treating every patient, and feel free to discuss problems with a colleague," he said. One thing often working in favor of older physicians is emotional intelligence, a skill they have likely developed with time and experi- bit. "Unfortunately, even if it's a le- gitimate medical mistake, I would bet if a young physician made the same mistake as a department chairman, the young physician will likely get a complaint or lawsuit [but not the chairman] because you are getting the very best from the chairman,"— or at least that is the public percep- tion, Dr. Chung said. It may seem that early-career physicians have the odds stacked against them in terms of receiving complaints, but there is some good news, said co-study author Paul Sternberg Jr., MD, Vanderbilt Eye Institute. "The vast majority will self-correct with feedback," he said. It's just a matter of letting them know if or when there is a problem. Such conversations can be informal, Dr. Sternberg said. "If they don't re- spond, there are areas for profession- al development, such as counseling or coaching," he said. Hemik Patel, MHA, senior con- sultant, Healthcare Division, RS&F Healthcare Advisors, Baltimore, sees potential for continuing education and professional development to im- prove younger physicians' commu- nication and interaction skills. "They can be instrumental for younger physicians who will deal with unsolvable medical situations and having emotionally tough conversa- tions with patients and families," he said. "Ongoing institutional training that emphasizes the delivery of high quality patient care to drive patient satisfaction would greatly benefit those physicians early on in their careers." A focus on developing a better bedside manner is also needed, Dr. Chung said. Younger physicians should be aware that they are judged by pa- tients on their age and other factors likely out of their control, Dr. Chung said. At the same time, they need continued from page 13

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