Rudeness can kill

[Biddlin]

Have something negative to say to your doctor? Keeping your mouth shut could keep you healthier, researchers at the University of Florida found.

The study, published this month in the journal Pediatrics, observed five different teams of nurses and doctors treating a mannequin infant for conditions including severe respiratory distress and shock. An actress playing the baby’s mother exhibited varying degrees of rudeness toward each team of providers.

Researchers found that the teams that encountered rudeness were deficient in all 11 of the study’s measures, including diagnostic accuracy, information sharing, therapy plan and communication, over the course of all five scenarios. The negative effects lasted the entire day, the study showed.

About 250,000 deaths are attributed to medical errors annually. The researchers estimate that about 40 percent of medical errors are due to patient rudeness.

“People may think that doctors should just ‘get over’ the insult and continue doing their job,” said Amir Erez, a University of Florida professor and study author, in a statement. “However, the study shows that even if doctors have the best intentions in mind, as they usually do, they cannot get over rudeness because it interferes with their cognitive functioning without an ability to control it.”-s.caiola, sacbee,com
Seriously, a "professional" is such a prima dona that they are unable to follow their training because their feelings are hurt? Wonder how many of those 120,000 negligent homicides are prosecuted each year?
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2017/01/06/peds.2016-2305

 

[eSGEe]

Interesting........I think I can honestly say I have yet to be RUDE to a medical professional
1. I assume he/She and I have the same goal in mind----my better health--- so I view it more as a "team effort"
2. I think it falls under the same category as DONT PISS OFF THE WAITER/WAITRESS unless you just want your food spit on---or worse---(ive SEEN worse)

 

[Tony M.]

Scene in an operating room:

"Are you going to call it Doctor?"
"NO! I'm not going to lose this guy. I like him."

True story. (The patient lived.)

 

[Sérgio]

Interesting........I think I can honestly say I have yet to be RUDE to a medical professional
1. I assume he/She and I have the same goal in mind----my better health--- so I view it more as a "team effort"
2. I think it falls under the same category as DONT PISS OFF THE WAITER/WAITRESS unless you just want your food spit on---or worse---(ive SEEN worse)

I was about to say these very sentences.

Don't take this as offensive, but being rude to a professional who's taking care of your/your loved ones' health OR someone who is preparing or serving your meal is basically... stupid.

Professionals are humans, and humans are defective... well, they're only human.

If there's a problem, the key is to ask politely if there's anything to be done about it. If that doesn't work, the best is to seek a superior, the hospital board/restaurant administration and in extreme cases, call the police/your lawyer.

Pissing off or attacking the person is never going to help, and in some cases it WILL affect his exertion.

 

[BlackSG91]

;>)/

 

[eSGEe]

Oh that is a good one Black....

 

[Biddlin]

Professionals are humans, and humans are defective... well, they're only human.

All very true, however, "professional" implies a higher degree of competence and liabilty. I have been placed in public safety positions in my career that often involved negative contact with people. I never let their distress affect my analysis or decision making, lest I made a serious, possibly fatal mistake. I think any of the members who were/are involved in customer service, public safety, law enforcement and/or public transportation will have similar reactions. We deal with rude unhappy people who are at their worst. We follow a script, get to the problem and hopefully offer a solution. If you get distracted by comments, taunts, etc. you have to step away or you're going to make errors. I would have been fired if 40% of my hazmat containment jobs had been less than 100% successful, much less if any actually damaged a person or property.

 

[Sérgio]

All very true, however, "professional" implies a higher degree of competence and liabilty. I have been placed in public safety positions in my career that often involved negative contact with people. I never let their distress affect my analysis or decision making, lest I made a serious, possibly fatal mistake. I think any of the members who were/are involved in customer service, public safety, law enforcement and/or public transportation will have similar reactions. We deal with rude unhappy people who are at their worst. We follow a script, get to the problem and hopefully offer a solution. If you get distracted by comments, taunts, etc. you have to step away or you're going to make errors. I would have been fired if 40% of my hazmat containment jobs had been less than 100% successful, much less if any actually damaged a person or property.

You are actually right: these people should have enough training to be able to work under stress and get the job done, and some even do have that training. But many do not. Unfortunately it ain't wise to stress them even more.

 

[BlackSG91]

I think this is all a futile argument IMHO. You are going to get professionals who react better or react worse to any situation beset upon them. It's a crap shoot...take it or leave it. It is what it is. This thread is pointless to begin with.


;>)/

 

[Sérgio]

I think this is all a futile argument IMHO. You are going to get professionals who react better or react worse to any situation beset upon them. It's a crap shoot...take it or leave it. It is what it is. This thread is pointless to begin with.


;>)/

I don't think it's a pointless thread... I understand the remark Biddlin wanted to make. And the way I see it, he does have a point when he says that these people should be able to dodge the rudeness. But it just ain't the way things work...

 

[Biddlin]

But it just ain't the way things work..

Most of these "healers" are legally and ethically held to higher standards than a gardener would be, for instance. I have always taken such oaths very seriously and always tried to act accordingly, why shouldn't I expect the same of them?

 

[Tony M.]

None of this matters anymore Biddin. Your thread
about rudeness is pointless. BlackSG91 said so.


There.
Now nobody else should post on it.
Posting on it would be rude.
Can we get it locked immediately if not sooner to prevent
potential rudeness from becoming kinetic rudeness please?

 

[Sérgio]

Most of these "healers" are legally and ethically held to higher standards than a gardener would be, for instance. I have always taken such oaths very seriously and always tried to act accordingly, why shouldn't I expect the same of them?

Yes. I agree with you. I act accordingly regarding my own oath and legal obligations, but people are different... So are their weaknesses.

Besides, we're not the same person every day of our lives. Sometimes that person we feel like being rude at is silently having a worse burden to bear that day. And therefore reacts badly.

 

[eSGEe]

I am in sales--- cold calls--- office "drop ins" --or as I call them, sneak attacks--- and other rude "interruptions of peoples days" ---people of all stations/credentials/positions--- all the time--- its what I do..........

I have been yelled at --- I have been cursed--- I have received subtle indifference and politeness-- and in one instance I was almost SHOT---
1 main rule of interacting with people ---be it in an office--- a restaurant -- a parking lot--- a forum-- or on the highway---- ALWAYS remember the 3 second rule---- you have no way of knowing WHAT has happened on the other side of that door--phone--vehicle--etc. 3 seconds BEFORE you appeared in the "frame" ---- it is a helpful thought and most times allows a bit of empathy reaction on your part---often all it takes to redirect the nastiness..........but not always ---- some people --- really are just assholes---

But that said--- yes -- doctors take an oath -- a serious one-- and they SHOULD be held to a higher --les pety-- standard/ but again as Sergio points out we are ALL human--- and we all --- make mistakes.
granted if I make one a customer doesnt get an item on time----- if a doctor makes one his customer MIGHT not get ANY more time......

I notice the situation presented in the article puts a person--- who is knowingly TRYING to push the Doctors buttons --- in charge of the situation.....a person playing a role would (IMHO) act differently than a real patient or parent of a real patient. So is the "test" real an accurate one at all??

 

[Biddlin]

often all it takes to redirect the nastiness...

My favorite trick. I always tried to agree with their complaint and redirect it at my stupid, lazy, cheap boss, even when I was the boss! Once you get them to stop yelling and find out what they want, your chances of helping them improve a great deal.

a person playing a role would (IMHO) act differently than a real patient or parent of a real patient. So is the "test" real an accurate one at all??

The "accuracy" is of course disputable on many levels. The limited number of cases studied as well as the technique make this hardly definitive, but it is perhaps indicative of a trend in society to take our "oaths" less seriously and also indicative of the attitude to feel free to verbally abuse those who have the misfortune to be obliged help us.

 

[eSGEe]

AAAAHHH the old "Lying with Statistics" trick...in a round about rope a dope sorta way with a slight touch of the badger game thrown in......nice