Can We Change How We Think About Difficult Patients?-322226

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar, led by Dr. Joan Nierdorf, focuses on rethinking the approach to difficult patients in clinical settings. Dr. Nierdorf, an accomplished emergency room physician and author, explores the negative thought patterns clinicians often have towards challenging patients and offers strategies for improving these interactions. Key concepts include understanding patients' fears and obstacles, recognizing common unhelpful thinking patterns like personalization and victim mentality, and the importance of being aware of one's own negative biases.<br /><br />Dr. Nierdorf introduces the think, feel, act cycle, emphasizing how clinicians' thoughts about patients trigger emotions and influence their actions, ultimately affecting outcomes. She advocates for replacing negative judgments with a more empathetic, curious, and intentional mindset to foster better feelings, actions, and patient outcomes. Using examples like different patient stereotypes identified by Dr. James Groves, she highlights the impact of labeling and how it can affect care quality. Dr. Nierdorf encourages self-reflection and positive affirmations to enhance job satisfaction and reduce burnout among medical professionals, promoting her book, "Changing How We Think About Difficult Patients," as a resource for further exploration.

Keywords

difficult patients

clinical settings

negative thought patterns

think feel act cycle

empathy in healthcare

patient stereotypes

self-reflection

burnout reduction

Joan Nierdorf