What do you do when a patient asks about the character of a provider?

[Knight2Nurse, BSN]

I have run into a problem and I would like some input.

There is a patient I have that has been referred to see a certain specialist because we don't have the availability to provide such specialized care that the patient needs in our facility.

There are only two providers in our area that can provide this service.

One I know is very honest, trustworthy, and consistently has very positive outcomes and patients really like him.

The other, the one this patient has been referred to, is rude, impersonal, and puts his patients down a lot and will even yell at them. He is knowledgeable but has terrible bedside manner. I have had patients come back after seeing him that he worked on that the result didn't turn out as well as expected.

The patient is anxious about his upcoming appointment because they will probably discuss his options including invasive surgery for his problem.

He is asking what I think about the provider he is going to see.

In his words: "I want to know if you would trust him to take care of you or your family."

And I really wouldn't.

I feel that I have the moral obligation to let him know what I think because I know what I know, but since this is a referral from our office to that specific provider, I'm not sure if I can do that without putting my job/license/integrity on the line.

What do you think?

Should I tell him what I really think or not?

[AnnieNP, MSN, NP]

I have referred to specialists that have bad bedside manner, but do get the job done, and I am honest with my patients. I will tell them something like the bedside manner isn't the best but the person is an excellent surgeon! I also would let them know that there is another speciialist if they are not comfortable with the one they are being referred to.

[AnnieNP, MSN, NP]

I have to add that my job would never be on the line because I work with my spouse and we agree on this approach.

[crazin01]

Tough position. I have and have seen other nurses encourage a '2nd opinion' quite a few times within a conversation, and a wink. Point usually gets across to patient/family.

Being honest, we all know healthcare team members know the dirt about who is and is not a great provider. Lawsuits, old school vs. trying new stuff, bedside manner, willingness to admit something is beyond their scope, etc. I've asked opinions & personal experiences of other nurses many times, as well as sharing mine when asked. Like any profession, there's good & bad. I recommend my auto mechanic to everybody, cuz he's fair, not crazy expensive & my family has been using him for 20 years and has a super customer service mentality.

Two years into floor nursing, I witnessed a doc walk to patient's bedside, state "It's cancer. You have three months." turned around & walked away. Horrible bedside manner, but found the issue when nobody else did. A few years later, I saw him as a patient, he got to the bottom of my issue when nobody else did, horrible manner & all. I could've cared less how rude he was to me, I wanted answers.

If you provide facts to patient, I don't see how you could be penalized. You don't affect his % of successful surgical intervention, length of treatment required or his interactions with patients. When asked about opinions, what about relaying what prior patients have told you? ensuring current patient understands you are only repeating what you have been told, not necessarily your personal opinion. (Sorry, didn't mean to hijack!!)

If this is the patients direct question to you "I want to know if you would trust him to take care of you or your family."

my response would be: "I will see him, get his opinion and likely seek a 2nd opinion from the other local specialist." (I'm the eternal optimist...)

Especially with 2 specialists in the area, the 2nd opinion answer sounds very legit as a reply.

[JKL33]

I may have a useful reply, but first I would like to know

1. Your vantage point for knowing the bedside manner of the provider in question and

2. Your body of facts for gauging fault as far as the patients whose results weren't as good as expected

Maybe you are meaning to be polite, but under the circumstances it's important (to me, anyway) whether you meant to say, "I have seen him/her demean and berate patients routinely" and "s/he is a careless butcher whom I have witnessed in action."

That isn't what you said, but if it is what you meant to say that would affect my response.

Thank you.

[Oldmahubbard]

I never know someone's true character until I have lived with them for about a year.

Of course, some people have a better bedside manner than others.

I would say nothing.