We have our own share of difficult people, patients who use the staff to vent frustration about their problems with the medical system, not usually our office in most instances. I guess we are the only office who will answer with a live person or call them back.
Even though most of my staff are veterans, my partner and I have an afternoon staff seminar every other year about managing difficult people. The last one was sponsored by our liability insurer (I guess that makes sense), and the docs attend also. The seminar leader did some role playing (the staff loves it when we physicians play their role, and they play the "patients from hell"). The lesson learned for the staff is that they are not powerless, they can control many behaviors by their responses, attitudes and "deflecting not reflecting".
It's very interesting the few weeks after the seminar, how the staffers that take these lessons seriously tame the real PITA patients. The office can break out in applause for a particularly tough phone call done well.
