Customizing Communication, or Which One I Sent

It’s been a fascinating week or so listening to everyone weigh in on which response they thought I sent to my patient (also here.) The general consensus, unsurprisingly, was that the first was far too cheeky — not to mention insulting — to effectively convey the necessary information.  The second, of course, was the one I send every day, day in and day out. Just this once, circumstances conspired to allow me to send the first. Let me explain. I’d like to begin by quoting myself: I find it amusing to intentionally adopt a far more curmudgeonly attitude here than I would ever dream of displaying in meatspace. It’s part of the fun of blogging, which is why I’ve been doing it now for almost eight years. All I ask is recognition that my public blog persona is different from my personal, real self. The first message was perceived as an expression of my frustration with a patient who wouldn’t comply with recommended treatment while complaining about one of the manifestations of her condition. (There were also some interesting digressions about hypothyroidism and weight loss, none of which actually apply. Remember the first rule of blogging: anonymize! Suffice it to say that her TSH wasn’t 7; it may not have been a woman; the issue may not have been weight loss; etc.) Here’s the thing, though: in real life, I don’t actually get frustrated with my patients. Really. I’ll admit this wasn’t always the case, however the o...
Source: Musings of a Dinosaur - Category: Primary Care Authors: Tags: Medical Source Type: blogs