How to Deal with Rude Healthcare Workers: 8 Steps for Filing a Complaint

Waiting for hours, receiving curt responses, or feeling unheard are experiences many people have encountered when seeking medical care. According to numerous international surveys, hospital overcrowding and prolonged work pressure can easily lead to stress among healthcare professionals, which in turn affects the quality of communication with patients. However, this does not mean patients should accept disrespectful treatment.

In this article, Tiptory will guide you on how to handle situations calmly when encountering inappropriate medical staff attitudes, how to behave in a hospital to protect your rights while maintaining cooperation with the treatment team. You will also learn when to file a hospital complaint, how to report it correctly, and tips to ensure the issue is resolved quickly and effectively.

Step 1: Stay calm when communicating

Stay calm in all situations

• If you encounter an inappropriate medical staff attitude, try to control your emotions and maintain a calm voice. This helps make the discussion more effective and increases the likelihood that your issue will be heard and resolved.
• Even if you are in pain, anxious, or tired due to illness, staying calm is the best way to protect your rights when behaving in a hospital.

Communicate with respect

• Before responding, make sure you are not unintentionally using impolite words or actions. Communicating with respect helps reduce tension and creates an environment for both parties to understand each other better.
• If you need to provide feedback on medical staff attitude, state the specific incident, avoiding personal attacks or generalizations.

Don't rush to judge someone based on one action

• A staff member with an unfriendly attitude is not necessarily irresponsible or uncaring towards patients. Work pressure, high intensity, or limited communication skills can all affect their behavior.
• Instead of reacting harshly immediately, observe the situation and choose an appropriate way to communicate. This often yields more positive results than arguing.

Only complain when absolutely necessary

• If you have remained calm, communicated directly, but the situation has not improved or your rights have been affected, consider filing a hospital complaint according to the proper procedure.
• The report should be based on specific facts, with clear times, locations, and content, so that the healthcare facility can verify and handle it objectively.

Step 2: Understand the pressure on medical staff

Put yourself in the shoes of medical staff

• When encountering an unfriendly medical staff attitude, try to see the situation from their perspective. Hospitals, especially emergency departments, often receive a large number of patients with varying degrees of severity.
• In many cases, critically ill patients will be prioritized for examination and treatment. This can lead to longer waiting times, making it difficult for medical staff to maintain a friendly attitude with everyone.

Understand that the hospital environment is always stressful

• Hospital work requires medical staff to make quick decisions, handle many urgent situations, and work at high intensity for long periods.
• In addition to professional pressure, they may also be dealing with personal issues or burnout, which can make their communication dry or insensitive.

Do not take it as a personal attack

• An inappropriate attitude does not mean the medical staff intentionally disrespected you. In many cases, it is simply a reaction stemming from work pressure and not aimed at any specific patient.
• Viewing the issue this way will help you remain calmer when behaving in a hospital, making it easier to find common ground and resolve the situation effectively.

Still protect your rights

• Understanding the circumstances of medical staff does not mean you have to accept all unprofessional behavior. If the attitude or conduct affects your rights, safety, or quality of care, you still have the right to report or file a hospital complaint in accordance with regulations.
• Present the facts objectively, politely, and with evidence so that the hospital has a basis for consideration and appropriate action.

Step 3: Research the hospital before your visit

Research hospital information before arrival

• If you have time and it's not an emergency, take a few minutes to research the hospital before deciding where to get examined or treated.
• Consulting information from official sources will help you choose a suitable medical facility and have more realistic expectations about service quality and behavior in the hospital.

Prioritize checking healthcare quality indicators

• Pay attention to criteria such as treatment quality, safety levels, readmission rates, and patient experience reviews if these data are publicly available.
• A high readmission rate for the same condition can be one of the signs to consider when choosing a hospital. In the US, these data are published on Medicare's Care Compare system for easy public access and comparison.

Selectively refer to patient reviews

• Feedback from treated patients can help you better understand waiting times, quality of care, medical staff attitude, and the hospital's admission process.
• However, do not rely solely on a few individual reviews. Consider multiple sources of information and prioritize comments with specific, objective content.

Choose a hospital that suits your needs

• Each hospital has strengths in different specialties. Choosing the right treatment facility will help increase the chance of receiving appropriate care and reduce undesirable experiences during the examination and treatment process.
• If, after treatment, you encounter issues related to service quality or medical staff attitude, discuss it with customer service first. If necessary, you can file a hospital complaint according to the correct procedure to have your rights considered and protected.

Step 4: Be patient during waiting times

Mentally prepare for medical examinations to take time

• In many hospitals, especially emergency departments, waiting times for examinations or treatment are often longer than expected. This does not always reflect medical staff attitude, but mainly due to the large number of patients and the need for thorough professional procedures.
• If your condition is not urgent, doctors will prioritize treating patients with life-threatening risks first.

Understand the steps in the examination and treatment process

• After an initial examination, you may need to undergo blood tests, imaging diagnostics, or other specialized tests. Each step takes time to complete and receive results.
• Once results are available, the doctor will review, evaluate, and discuss them with the nurse before determining the appropriate course of treatment. Therefore, waiting time not only includes waiting for your turn but also the entire professional process.

Maintain a cooperative attitude while waiting

• Patience and cooperation will help the process of behaving in a hospital run more smoothly. If you are unsure why you are waiting for a long time, you can politely ask medical staff about the progress or estimated time instead of showing frustration.
• Calm communication often helps you receive complete information and reduce unnecessary misunderstandings.

Proactively report if waiting time is unusual

• If you have waited too long without receiving any information, contact the reception desk or nurse for an update.
• If you discover an unreasonable handling process or medical staff attitude that affects patient rights, you can report it to customer service or file a hospital complaint according to regulations for consideration and resolution.

Step 5: Request to speak with the person in charge

Request to speak with the person in charge when necessary

• If you feel the medical staff attitude is inappropriate or their communication makes you uncomfortable, calmly ask to speak with the person in charge instead of arguing directly.
• Reporting to the right person with authority usually helps resolve the issue more quickly and objectively.

You have the right to request a change in care provider

• If communication with the current doctor or nurse affects your examination and treatment process, you can politely request assistance from another medical staff member, if the hospital's conditions allow.
• Clearly state your reasons, focusing on specific incidents rather than personal criticism, to increase the likelihood of your request being considered.

Contact the correct management level

• Depending on the hospital's regulations, you can request to speak with the nurse in charge of the shift, the head nurse, the department head, or the direct manager of the relevant department.
• If these individuals are not available, ask the reception staff or customer service department for guidance on who has the authority to resolve the issue.

Present the facts clearly and objectively

• When making a complaint, specifically state the time, location, content of the incident, and the impact you experienced. A clear presentation will help the manager easily verify and determine an appropriate course of action.
• If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved after discussions with management, you can file a hospital complaint through official channels to protect your rights. This also helps improve behavior in hospitals and enhance service quality for patients.

Step 6: Communicate calmly and respectfully

Present the incident calmly

• When complaining about medical staff attitude, speak in a calm, clear voice and focus on the incident that occurred.
• Specifically describe the time, place, words, or actions that made you uncomfortable so that the person in charge can easily verify and address them.

Prioritize non-confrontational communication

• Avoid yelling, insulting, or using aggressive language, even if you are upset.
• Calm communication not only makes the discussion more effective but also creates an environment for both parties to find a suitable solution when behaving in a hospital.

Focus on the issue instead of personal criticism

• Talk about specific behaviors or situations instead of judging the quality of healthcare staff. For example, instead of saying "You are doing a terrible job," you could say: "I feel that I haven't been fully informed about my health condition."
• This approach helps reduce tension and increases the likelihood that the other person will be receptive to your feedback.

Allow the manager to handle it according to proper procedure

• After receiving a complaint, the responsible person will review the incident and discuss it with the relevant staff to verify the information.
• If the resolution is unsatisfactory or your rights are still affected, you may proceed to file a complaint against the hospital as per regulations. Following the correct complaint procedure will contribute to improving the attitude of medical staff and enhancing the quality of behavior in the hospital for all patients.



Step 7: Complain to the hospital correctly

Report the incident to the hospital

• If you have discussed it directly but the issue has not been resolved, report it to the customer care department, social work department, or hospital management.
• Present the incident objectively, fully, and include information such as time, location, and relevant staff (if known) to allow the hospital to verify.

File a complaint when necessary

• If the attitude of medical staff or the hospital's handling affects your rights, safety, or the quality of examination and treatment, you have the right to file a complaint against the hospital according to the proper procedure.
• You should keep relevant documents such as examination slips, invoices, discharge papers, or other evidence to support the resolution process if needed.

Provide constructive feedback

• When giving feedback, focus on specific behaviors or incidents rather than personal criticism. This helps the hospital verify and take appropriate corrective measures.
• Objective feedback not only protects your rights but also contributes to improving behavior in the hospital and enhancing the quality of medical services.

Patients have the right to be respected

• Medical staff are responsible for caring for patients with a professional and respectful attitude, prioritizing patient health and safety.
• If your legitimate rights are not guaranteed, do not hesitate to use the designated feedback channels or complain to the hospital as per regulations to ensure the matter is reviewed and handled fairly.



Step 8: Ask a family member to act as a representative

Have a family member accompany you during treatment

• If the patient is in a critical condition, fatigued, or has difficulty communicating, ask a trusted family member or friend to accompany them during the treatment process.
• The companion can help monitor the patient's health, remember doctor's instructions, and assist in communicating with healthcare staff when needed.

Support communication with the medical team

• The representative can ask questions on behalf of the patient, clarify unclear information, and politely communicate with doctors or nurses.
• This approach helps minimize misunderstandings and facilitates more effective and smooth behavior in the hospital.

Monitor complete treatment information

• It is advisable to record completed tests, important results, medications being used, treatment plans, and questions for the next consultation.
• Keeping records will help the patient and family monitor progress and facilitate communication with other healthcare staff.

Coordinate among family members

• If the treatment process is prolonged, family members can take turns providing care and updating information for others.
• Proper delegation ensures the patient always has support and reduces pressure on individual family members.

Understand patient privacy regulations

• Many hospitals are only permitted to provide health information to the patient or a person authorized by the patient, in accordance with medical information confidentiality laws.
• Therefore, if you want a family member to communicate with the doctor or access treatment information, you must complete authorization procedures or confirmations as required by the hospital. In cases where issues arise regarding medical staff attitude or if there's a need to complain to the hospital, the representative can also help the patient present the incident fully and objectively.



References

1. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
2. American Hospital Association. Patient-Centered Communication in Hospitals. Chicago, IL: American Hospital Association.
3. Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Person- and Family-Centered Care: A Framework for Improving Quality and Safety. Boston, MA: Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
4. Joint Commission. Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals: The Official Handbook. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: The Joint Commission.
5. Leape LL. Making Healthcare Safe: The Story of Patient Safety. Dordrecht: Springer.
6. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
7. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
8. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Patient Experience in Adult NHS Services: Improving the Experience of Care for People Using Adult NHS Services. London: NICE.
9. World Health Organization. Patient Safety: Global Action on Patient Safety. Geneva: World Health Organization.
10. World Health Organization. Framework on Integrated, People-Centred Health Services. Geneva: World Health Organization.
11. Ministry of Health. Circular No. 07/2014/TT-BYT Regulating the code of conduct for civil servants, public employees, and workers in healthcare facilities. Hanoi: Ministry of Health.
12. Ministry of Health. Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
13. Ministry of Health. Set of quality criteria for Vietnamese hospitals. Hanoi: Ministry of Health.
14. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Care Compare: Hospital Quality Information. Baltimore, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Content edited by: Ashley Wright Nguyen.


Information consulted and verified by expert: Charlotte Davis.