A video of a doctor cursing at a patient who complained about long wait times at a Florida after-hours clinic was shared more than 5,500 times on Facebook and subsequently picked up by several media outlets, including in an October 10, 2017, article in the New York Daily News. The patient, who said on Facebook that she was in “severe pain and throwing up in the trash can," had an appointment at 6:30 p.m., but says that more than an hour later she had only been given a pregnancy test. The woman asked for her copayment to be returned, because she believed proper care was not being provided. At this point, the woman's daughter began videotaping the exchange on her cellular phone. The woman is shown, visibly upset, telling the doctor that patients should be informed when they will not be seen in a timely manner. When the doctor asks whether the woman wants to be seen, she says, “I want to go home." He responds “Fine, get your money and get the hell out." The doctor then irately tells her that wait times would be longer at other clinics or at a hospital emergency department. The woman's daughter then asks the doctor to stop yelling at her mother. The doctor responds by shouting, “Get the f--- out of my office, now." The video ends with the daughter informing the doctor that she had been recording the altercation. The doctor then appears to snatch the phone away, as the woman says she will be calling the police.

HRC Recommends: Regarding wait times, organization leadership must plan and provide for sufficient staff and resources to safely provide care, treatment, and services to the typical volume of patients. ED-patient case flow, peak times, and staffing levels should all be monitored and addressed as needed. Regarding staff treatment of patients, organizations should hold practitioners accountable for their behavior, support and aid practitioners in changing their behavior, and adopt a zero-tolerance policy for disruptive behavior that compromises patient safety.