There may be many barriers to effective physician-patient communication. Several approaches can be used to facilitate open communication with a patient. One third to one half of patients will fail to follow a physician's treatment recommendations. Compliance can be improved by using shared decision making. Let's talk about what problems it will create and try to solve them together.
Competent patients have a right to refuse medical intervention.
Dilemmas may arise when a patient refuses medical intervention, but does not withdraw from the role of being a patient. In most cases, choices of competent patients must be respected when the patient cannot be persuaded to change them. Physicians will sometimes encounter a patient whose needs, or demands, strain the therapeutic alliance. Many times, an honest discussion with the patient about the boundaries of the relationship will resolve such misunderstandings. Unfortunately, our appointment today is only for fifteen minutes.