Most hospital staff and patients try to avoid rude physicians… Lawyers look for them. Jurors may not understand the medicine in a malpractice case, but all have been the target of rude or rushed care. This rude behavior multiplier leads to “Jackpot Justice”. Lawyers just love a good “service lapse”- angry words, a “TUDE”, even a late return phone call, or a cranky staff person. They revel when doctors and nurses are at odds. In fact, patients often sue not because of genuine rude behavior, but their perception of short, curt treatment, or a feeling of incomplete disclosure. How can caregivers improve their patients’ perceptions, their expectations of care, to immunize themselves against suits?

2. The Rude Get Sued Patricia L. Raymond MD FACP FACG Florida Society for Healthcare Risk Management & Patient Safety 3 August 2007

3. “… if a doctor shall operate on the eye of a man with a copper lancet and that man shall lose his eye, the eye of the doctor with a copper lancet they shall put out, and if he operated on a wound and the patient die, his hand is to be cut off...” ~Code of Hammurabi, 3000 BC

6. Who’s to blame for malpractice suits? Medical Economics, July 1999

7. “ Human behavior just doesn't change unless there are significant adverse consequences for unscrupulous behavior. When justice does prevail (and often it does not) the price of righteousness has to be high to prevent continued transgression.” The Burton Report www.burtonreport.com/infforensic/MedMalTortReform Lawyers: Defense of Righteousness?

11. Why do MDs get sued? We’re RUDE…

14. “ It isn’t medical outcome. A patient is more willing to forgive the physician for a poor outcome if there was good communication to begin with.”

17. 71% of malpractice suits (are) filed based on a breakdown of the physician-patient relationship. Howard Beckman MD, 1994

33. Patients Seek Legal Advice Seeking legal advise is only stat more likely for allergy/non -serious/non -disclosure

34. Juries may not understand the medicine, but all have experienced rudeness.

48. “ Patients want their physician to help them restore balance and control over their lives, not to treat them with an impersonal or condescending attitude. Lawsuits are launched by patients who blame poor outcome on a perceived lack of professionalism on the part of the physician.” ~Richard Bernard, SCPIE/American Healthcare Indemnity

49. Rx: Teach your docs bedside manners

63. Nobody wants constructive criticism. It's all we can do to put up with constructive praise. -- Mignon McLaughlin Fish Compl

67. Rude by proxy: Our office staff “ Sarcasm is just one more service that we offer.”

76. If your docs choose to be rude… The Doctors Wealth Protection Guide, Mandell DB, Goldstein AS, Jarvis CR.  1999 Guardian Publishing

77. Few things are harder to put up with than a good example. -Mark Twain 1835-1910

78. Teach your docs to play nice. I 3 Implement it immediately!