High rise in complaints against doctors in past and in future it  will increase in leaps and bounds

Complaints against doctors have hit a record high, rising more sharply than for any other health professional. Is this down to poor practice or a changing complaints culture?

Certain factors, such as a doctor’s gender, the organizational culture and the specialty in which they work, affect the likelihood of receiving a complaint.

The three most prevalent sources  of complaints :-

(a)    concerns with investigations or treatment, such as the failure to diagnose or inappropriate prescribing

problems with communication.

(b)    such as not responding to people’s concerns.

(c)    perceived lack of respect, such as being rude.

When you see such a rapid increase, such a sudden change, it’s unlikely to be the fact that doctors have become less caring or less competent.

Senior doctors agrees that a rise in surgical complaints is down to the increasing complexity of medicine. “Our patients are getting sicker, our services are turning over more rapidly and we are handing over more patients. Healthcare is changing; we have higher expectations of our surgeons, and are increasingly asking them to perform trickier tasks. The perception is that anything is possible, so we expect our surgeons to be able to deliver anything.”

Recent reports  identified a 50% rise in complaints from people who felt they had not received a clear or adequate explanation in response to their complaints. There might be other reasons also for increasing complaint but few of them are really serious. It can not be rules out that even most patients of our country also do not have basic knowledge about medical science, many times in spite of best efforts of the doctors un fateful incidents can happen in such a situation the patients and their attendants neglect the best efforts of the doctor and start murmuring and the result counts to complaint against the doctor.

One reason out of several reasons is that the Indian public does not get them self insured and in such cases also the patients forget the services of doctors and hospitals but only remembers the amount spent on the treatment of their patient who could not be saved even after best efforts. IT is vice-versa for doctors also that even they also do not bother to hire services of medico legal experts along with insurance.

How to avoid complaints

Complaints are an opportunity to improve your practice and avoid potentially escalating issues. By better communicating with patients and managing their expectations, most complaints will disperse.

Effective communication

Most complaints are rooted in poor communication. Understandably patients experience difficulties in assessing the technical competency of a doctor, so will frequently judge the quality of clinical competence by their interactions with a particular doctor.

Developing good communication skills will improve clinical effectiveness and reduce medicolegal risk. It is often said that body language speaks louder than words. A mismatch between verbal and non-verbal communication can lead to a strained encounter for both doctors and their patients. Being aware of your own body language is the first step in understanding how your body language is perceived.

Key statistics around complaints

After commencement of consumer law in India there were hardly any complaints till 90`s but in 20`s this practice started and the present situation is that out of 10 complaints before consumer Forums there are 3 to 4 against doctors and hospitals And criminal complaints against doctors have also increased in past decade. In coming years there will be about 200 % increase in consumer complaints and out of that 50% will be against doctors and hospitals and there will be increase of 13% complaints against doctors and hospitals in coming years.

Complaints are stressful and time-consuming; often a prompt, well-balanced response to a complaint will not be enough to defuse the situation

Where there are differences of opinion between you and a patient, or a patient’s relatives, there is much to be gained by acknowledging and empathizing with their situation rather than becoming defensive. See them not as a critique of your clinical acumen, but as an opportunity to listen to a patient and improve your skills for the future. An apology goes a long way in defusing a situation, and is not an admission of liability.

As patients’ expectations grow, doctors will have to acquire new skills to manage them effectively, especially in the new commissioning environment; responding defensively will not deliver protection from complaints. A balance must be created where doctors are treated fairly and patients are assured of their safety.  Note able: Sorry to say but most of our doctors also do not acquire knowledge about the laws applicable to them and fail to follow, do not get insured and services of medico legal experts, these few ignorance’s result in high risks, mental, physical and financial losess.