Counterproductive Behaviors in the Healthcare Setting: History and Recommended Approaches for Addressing Disruptive Physician Behaviors

Healthcare is a complex multidimensional delivery system that depends on effective communication and collaboration between all health team members. The goal is to provide safe, high-quality, appropriate, and effective care that results in the best possible patient outcomes. When individuals act in an unprofessional, inappropriate, counterproductive manner, it can negatively affect team focus and concentration that can impair healthcare relationships which can affect roles, responsibilities, and task completion, all of which may lead to the occurrence of adverse medical events that can hurt patient safety and quality of care. In the healthcare setting, this counterproductive work behavior often is categorized as disruptive behavior, and it can cause a toxic medical environment that prevents individuals from doing their jobs. Gaining a better understanding of these types of behaviors, their causes, and their consequences will help raise awareness and lead to the development of policies and procedures that can address these issues and prevent emotional and physical harm to both staff and patient. Early recognition and early intervention can reduce the likelihood and impact of disruptive events.