title: Difficult conversations: anger in the clinician-patient/family relationship.
abstract: Anger is a "syndrome" of thoughts, feelings and physiologic reactions. Behavioral responses to anger are influenced by multiple contextual factors. Patients and family members may express anger in response to their own experiences of illness, the healthcare system, or the physician-patient/family relationship. Anger may evoke a variety of clinician responses that while understandable, inadvertently escalate patient and family anger. Clinicians who cultivate personal awareness, practice mindful self-monitoring during their interactions, explore the differential diagnosis of anger, demonstrate specific communication skills, set clear boundaries and seek personal support can overcome the challenges of these difficult conversations, and begin to restore trust in the physician-patient/ family relationship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Mount Auburn Hospital, 300 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lown
mesh_terms: D000786:Anger; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations / Q000941:ethics*