Disruptive physician behavior often includes unhelpfulness or rudeness but in some cases may deteriorate into abusive or even violent behavior. When doctors intimidate or disrupt their peers, or other staff members, medical errors may occur. It also contributes to poor patient satisfaction and increases the cost of care. It is also a major factor in high nurse turnover. It is widely recognized that patient safety and the quality of care depends on good relationships, good communication and teamwork. It is always best to prevent disruptive behavior before it occurs. While 3-5% of physicians and healthcare staff may demonstrate significant disruptive behavior, it is estimated that 30-50% have poor communication skills.

This lecture teaches physician executives and administrators how to improve communication skills in their teams and avoid disruptive events before they occur. One in four physicians admits to engaging in disruptive behavior at some time in their career. The need for services to help doctors is large and increasing with recent mandates from the Joint Commission (JCAHO) for assessment, intervention and monitoring of disruptive physicians. This workshop provided the skills needed to recognize and manage the disruptive physican and help avoid the costly results of legal, ethical and medical consequences of disruptive behavior.

By the end of this lecture, participants should be able to:

📌 Recognize the signs of a disruptive physician
📌Avoid employing disruptive physicians
📌Understand some medical causes for disruptive behavior
📌Understand how the personality of physicians contributes to disruptive behavior
📌Be aware of the legal, ethical and medical consequences of disruptive behavior
📌Learn techniques for managing disruptive behavior in physicians and others
📌Improve communication skills
📌Utilize the value of emotional intelligence and empathy
📌Know how to express a feeling or position using an I-message

… and much more