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Fam Pract Manag. 2012;19(5):10

Thanks for the article about difficult patient encounters [“Rethinking the Difficult Patient Encounter,” May/June 2012]. I like the term “heartsink.” I agree that it's often our own perspective or reaction that makes certain patient encounters difficult. Once I get out of the “fix-it” mode (which can't always be done in these instances) and just listen empathetically, visits go much smoother and can even be enjoyable.

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