We’ve Moved! 6121 Excelsior Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Golden Rule: Do Unto Doctors…

It’s human nature to bristle when someone is rude to you. Despite efforts to maintain a professional veneer, rudeness can impact how people respond — even professionals who witness discourteous behavior all the time. This may be evident when a customer service representative stops being helpful, or when a referee seems to call more fouls against the team supported by an insolent player, coach or even fan.

One might assume that physicians would be above this sort of reactionary behavior, but apparently not, according to a recent study led by a professor at the University of Florida. Human nature is human nature, and being rude in an effort to get our way is not always as effective as some might think.

In the study, the researchers wanted to find out how doctors respond when patients (or their advocates) are rude to them. The study discovered that rudeness can actually affect doctors enough to interfere with their cognitive functioning without them realizing it. In fact, doctors who endured rudeness performed consistently poorly across all 11 measures compared to a control group (who did not experience rudeness from patients). The study’s measures included diagnostic accuracy, information sharing, therapy plan and communication. Furthermore, these negative impacts can last all day long — so people shouldn’t think they can be rude in the morning and expect all to be forgotten when their doctors make hospital rounds in the evening.

Regardless of how we feel when seeing a doctor, it’s worth keeping our agitation in check. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that medical errors rank as the third-leading cause of death in the United States — and rudeness accounts for more than 40 percent of medical errors, the study found.

Share This Article

Get the latest retirement news today!

Subscribe Now

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Pick your topic or keywords

Similar Posts

Getting to the Truth: How Strong is Social Security Anyway?

The number one news headline grab this month isn't the Kardashians or Donald Trump. Nor is it Spieth's distressing loss at the Open Championship by…

Continue Reading
Secured Retirement Radio: Probability Investing vs. Safety First

Blog post written by Dale Decker We all have different tolerances for risk. Some people prefer to go big and climb Mount Everest. Others are perfectly…

Continue Reading
Cary Grant’s Retirement Income Checklist

“You never miss the water until the well runs dry.” His Girl Friday (1940) – Walter Burns (Cary Grant) In the 1940’s movie His Girl…

Continue Reading
Ryan Keapproth

Ryan Keapproth

Retirement Planner

Ryan is dedicated to serving clients to achieve their retirement goals. Ryan’s holistic approach centers on wealth management strategies with a focus on income planning throughout retirement. As a Financial Advisor, Ryan is an Investment Adviser Representative (IAR), life and health insurance licensed and a Certified Tax Preparer. Ryan is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with an Accounting and Finance major.

Ryan is a lifelong Minnesotan originally from Woodbury and currently residing in Bloomington with his wife, Riamae, and their rescue Terrier Beagle mix, Douglas. He and his family are avid travelers in their free time. Ryan enjoys playing golf and poker, and describes himself as a major foodie enjoying new restaurants around the cities whenever possible. He is a sports fan especially when the Vikings and Timberwolves are playing.