6 things patients do that drive doctors demented

With all the Internet doctor rating sites, health insurance ratings and online board certification databases to check, many people today have a low tolerance for bad doctors. But after your smiling physians say goodbye and shut the office-room doors, there’s a good chance that they wish they could rate you.

A frequently cited 1999 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that doctors find up to 15 percent of patient visits “difficult.”

In a more recent article in the same journal, published in February of this year, 449 internists and family practitioners surveyed said major difficulties arose when patients appeared to be dissatisfied with their care or when patients had unrealistic expectations.

But, beyond personality differences, many doctors run into patients with bad habits, which makes diagnosing and treating them seem maddening.

If you would like to read more on this story and the top doctor-irking habits by patients, click on this link .