@article{ref1,
title="My patient wants to kill me",
journal="Annals of family medicine",
year="2020",
author="Bittleman, David",
volume="18",
number="3",
pages="269-271",
abstract="A few years into my practice at the Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic, I was threatened by an angry patient when I had to discontinue his opioids. I placed a civil restraining order against him and when we met in court he admitted to the judge that stopping opioids improved his behavior. I discovered that the legal system could support the medical system's care of threatening patients but found the process stressful. My story outlines my journey and suggests that safety-net institutions such as the Veterans Affairs clinics might consider creating &quot;patients of concern&quot; panels where patients who have made threats meet with clinicians and administrators as part of ongoing treatment and, as a result, perhaps avoid courtroom visits. These panels could allow patients to air their grievances as well as see that a group of concerned clinicians are reviewing their care and making decisions as a team. Violence in the workplace, especially in health care, is on the rise. The stress this causes doctors, nurses, and staff is considerable. Leadership at safety-net institutions such as VA need to explore novel ways of addressing workplace violence.<br><br>© 2020 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1544-1709",
doi="10.1370/afm.2517",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1370/afm.2517"
}