8 OCTOBER 2024IN MY OPINIONIN MY OPINIONIn healthcare, the relationship between physician, staff, and patient creates a dynamic that changes lives. The clinical environment sets the mood for the patient experience. In some cases, like oncology, the patients experience fear and anxiety. The physician and office staff work in concert to offset the fear and provide a positive experience for the patient. This helps a patient take control of their disease.In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic saw a new hero emerge--the healthcare provider and their staff. These frontline workers have put their lives on the line to care for others. Occasionally, as stressors mount, the physician provider may fall into a pattern of malcontent behavior. When this occurs, the clinical environment can become unfavorable, making it more difficult to mask the discontent. Abusive behavior demonstrated by physicians creates an atmosphere of instability for the clinical staff and translates into patient care. Coined as disruptive physician behavior (DPB) by Alan H. Rosenstein (2002), abusive behavior characterizes any action exhibited by a physician that creates a substandard level of treatment and impedes the organization's ability to meet its patient care mission. As the clinical staff reacts to DPB, their focus shifts from the patient to the frustration and fear of retaliatory consequences. This anxiety inhibits decision-making abilities and often leads to burnout. Burnout adversely affects employee turnover rates and patient care, creating an environment that lacks continuity of care.The care team becomes the anchor By Mike Marino, EdD, MBA, Vice President Operations, Texas OncologyThe Impact of Disruptive Physician Behavior on Support StaffMike Marino
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