BEEN patronised or fobbed off by a doctor? It may have made you angry, but hopefully not angry enough to want to kill your physician.
Yet it turns out that the urge is not uncommon, especially among patients who are in pain, undergoing physical rehabilitation or seeking legal compensation for disability. So say David Fishbain and colleagues at the University of Miami in Florida, who surveyed some 2000 Americans on their interactions with doctors.
Few doctors are actually killed by their patients, but thousands are attacked and injured. Understanding who is likely to have the urge to kill, and why, could help reduce attacks. Fishbain says his work illustrates how stressful being assessed for compensation can be, and suggests reforming how such decisions are made.
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He presented at the American Pain Society meeting this month in Tampa, Florida.
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