Patient dissatisfaction

Any request for compensation or a refund by a patient must be reported to PLP.  Upon receipt of the information, an Advisor will contact you to discuss your options and describe the risks and benefits of each approach.

Should you decide not to accede to the patient’s request, the Advisor will assist you in responding to the patient or deal with the patient directly.  If the patient retains a lawyer and/or starts a legal action, the Advisor will act on your behalf or engage legal counsel to represent you.

Read more: Dealing with Unhappy Patients and the Threat of Litigation, Anatomy of a Legal Action.

PLP does not recommend that members who believe their care was appropriate refund fees to patients.  If you have made a business decision to make a refund, it is important that you do not say anything that may be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing and that you contact PLP to assist you with the paperwork.  Failure to heed this advice may jeopardize PLP’s ability to assist you if the patient requests more money.

When a patient expresses dissatisfaction with your care, it is important to:

• Remain calm and professional.
• Avoid becoming defensive and argumentative. Allowing the patient a chance to vent may defuse the situation.
• Be empathetic. Apologizing for a less than ideal outcome or acknowledging the patient’s suffering cannot be used against you in legal proceedings.
• Consider referring the patient to another dentist. If you know a patient is dissatisfied with your treatment and you feel that the trust has been lost in the dentist-patient relationship, you should refer the patient to another practitioner.
• Refrain from offering compensation or admitting liability. Your liability protection could be jeopardized if you admit liability or offer money to the patient.
• Notify PLP. We can assist you with managing the situation. In addition, timely reporting of issues that may give rise to a claim is a requirement under the terms of your liability protection.
• Maintain confidentiality. Specifics of a reportable situation should only be discussed with PLP staff or the lawyer assigned to assist you.
• Keep notes about legal matters separate from the clinical record. Notes of conversations with PLP staff should be not be recorded in the patient’s chart and should be stored separately.
• Refrain from altering the patient’s chart. Changing your records after learning of patient dissatisfaction will undermine your defence in a legal action.

Read more: Dealing with Patients and the Threat of Litigation