title: Grievances against physicians: 11 years' experience of a medical society grievance committee.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand causes of patient dissatisfaction that result in complaints.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grievances received by the grievance committee between January 1, 1989, and January 1, 2000, were reviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 2-county area of North Carolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 29 patients who filed grievances, the 9 male (31%) and 20 female (69%) patients had a mean (+/-SD) age of 39 (+/-19) years. In 18 instances, the patient consulted the physician less than 3 times (64%) before the complaint and in 8 instances more than 4 times (29%). Main outcome measures Allegations of the grievance and the committee's findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Grievances fell into 5 categories: failure to fulfill expectations for examination and treatment (38%), failure to promptly diagnose (20%), rudeness (17%), producing excessive pain or practicing beyond the area of expertise (13%), and inappropriate behavior related to billings (10%). In 45% of the grievances, the committee found no breach of practice standards. In 17% of the cases, the physician resolved the grievance by apologizing, adjusting a bill, or completing insurance forms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most grievances were filed by younger women against newly encountered physicians and were related to inadequate communication or alleged delay in diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology and Pediatrics Duke University Medical Center Box 3085 Durham, NC 27710, USA. halperin2radonc.duke.edu
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Halperin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012955:Societies, Medical