There it is, that awkward moment when your patient rants about their previous chiropractor. How should you react?
Posted in Articles on Wednesday, July 17, 2024
You probably already know it’s never a good idea to second-guess, disparage, criticize or bad-mouth another chiropractor, health care provider, or group to a patient.
In addition to being unprofessional, your remarks may add fuel to the fire. Inflammatory remarks like, “I'm glad you came to me before this got worse,” and “I’d never refer my patients to that doctor," may make the patient decide to file a claim if they were on the fence before. Any validation from you may send them straight to an attorney’s office—and you could find yourself in court to explain your professional opinion in front of a judge.
Try to Remain Neutral
It's always good to remember that you are only getting one side of the story. The patient’s opinions can be subjective and may be based on a number of variables you don't know about. If you feel like you have to respond, try to maintain a neutral position with comments like, “It's common for chiropractors to approach this issue differently,” or “My practice style and philosophy differ from Dr. Smith's.”
As with any relationship, it's also possible that the patient and their former DC were simply not a good fit for each other. Some patients are just not a good match for a particular treatment approach or communication style, among other things. In these cases, the patient can become dissatisfied and not comply with prescribed treatment, resulting in less-than-optimal treatment outcomes.
It is always a good idea to obtain records from the previous treating chiropractor, and you may discover some useful information about the relationship when you review those records. Of course, your patient will need to sign a release allowing you to contact their former chiropractor—and a strong objection to this may be an indication that there is more to the story.
On the flip side, if you feel like your style and philosophy may be incompatible with your ability to provide appropriate care to your patient, you should consider recommending another DC. Make sure you follow the proper procedure for discharging a patient to avoid allegations of abandonment.
You're Not Immune
Be aware that patients who disparage other doctors may be predatory patients with a long history of hopping between chiropractors or health care providers. They can be good at appealing to a doctor's ego by saying things like, “the last chiropractor I saw was hopeless, but I’ve heard great things about you.” Remember, you may be next on this patient's list!
Where There's Smoke...
If there are repeated complaints from multiple patients about substandard care received from a certain chiropractor or group, however, don’t ignore them. Obviously, these types of situations should be approached cautiously and only when there is concern about the overall quality of care and patient safety.
If you are sufficiently concerned, it may be necessary to take the next step. Your state’s association may be able to confidentially advise you on whether to take the issue before the board, and if so, the best way to proceed.