title: The problem patient as perceived by family physicians.
abstract: Views of family physicians, in training and in practice, were obtained on problem patients. Both groups identified problem patients by the presence of vague complaints of a functional nature and the presence of psychiatric symptoms. Views of problem patients did not change with age of physician or length of time since training. Neither group identified problem patients by the type of physician-patient relationship, a finding that probably contributes to increased difficulties with this group of patients.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D010361:Patients; D010551:Personality; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family; D012919:Social Behavior; D013997:Time Factors