Matthew Herman is a 30-year-old male patient at the physician's office in which you are a medical assistant

He has just been told that he might have testicular cancer and needs to have a variety of tests performed. Matthew is distraught by this news. He becomes angry and accuses the doctor of making a mistake. He has raised his voice in the checkout area in front of other patients. How would you diffuse the situation?
What will be an ideal response?

ANSWER: The medical assistant should take Mr. Herman into a private area to discuss the matter in private so as not to disturb other patients. The medical assistant should remain calm, maintain gentle eye contact and refrain from statements such as "I know how you feel." Instead, the medical assistant should tell the patient, "I'm sorry you are going through this. How can I help?" Information regarding the disease or available support groups should be given to the patient. If the medical assistant is not able to diffuse the situation, the office manager or physician should be notified. The patient should be removed from the office if he becomes violent, or the police should be called. The medical assistant should inform the physician and document the incident properly in the patient's chart.