Commentary
Medical patients around the country are complaining about a phenomenon known as medical gaslighting. Most doctors aren’t intentionally trying to gaslight their patients, nor do they even realize they’re doing it, according to Karen Lutfey Spencer, PhD. But there can be serious consequences including loss of trust.
It is logical to extrapolate the consequences of gaslighting by an MD to some of the trust issues veterinarians experience.” – Kirk Augustine
We often provide resources that highlight the importance of listening and how active listening increases the value of veterinary-client-patient relationships <Link to recent post>.
Source: BottomLineInc, July 1, 2023. Link. Patients and animal owners are frequently intimidated by doctors. Spencer discusses biases, assumptions, rushed scheduling and other factors that contribute to gaslighting.
When doctors are rushed or distracted, they tend to fall back on preconceived notions about patients, which can lead to oversights and diagnosis errors.
INSIGHTS: Context can rarely be achieved in a 10- to 12-minute exam . . . period. Obtaining the animal owner’s context is more critical than ever to identify the story and the client’s expectations.