title: Patient-physician communication and interaction: a unifying approach to the difficult patient.
abstract: Many difficult patients encountered by the primary care physician may be understood in terms of severe unmet dependency needs. These patients often evoke negative feelings on the part of physicians. A mutual participation approach to the patient-physician relationship is a means of providing effective care for these patients, at the same time preventing frustration and burnout in the physician by preserving his energies.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety; D001288:Attention; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005639:Frustration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods; D012803:Sick Role