On a recent neuro placement I was 7min late for my appointment with a patient. He was very angry and difficult to understand. To make things worse I had never seen this patient before. I was caught by surprise, thinking that it’s not that big a deal, and wondering why he was so angry?
I feel I handled the situation well. I told this gentleman calmly and gently that I was sincerely sorry and that I will not let it happen again. I said this without making excuses for my absence. I think this was a good response and he seemed to appreciate the apology. His anger resolved shortly after once we had started treatment.
I suppose the biggest thing I realised out of this situation is how much patients value their time in physiotherapy and how much they must look forward to their treatment sessions. This experience has improved my understanding of the patients view of physiotherapy.
Luca
1 comment:
Yeah, I agree that we sometimes take for granted of client's appointments, and think it's ok to be slightly late (especially in situations where we have to see clients one after another consecutively). Some patients may regard it as being disrespectful of their time, especially in the outpatient setting.
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