I Have Something Interesting To Talk To You About: Speaking To Disagree, Agreeably

Abstract

Working in health care can sometimes be exhilarating. At other times it is exhausting, especially if there is interpersonal conflict amongst health-care providers about the best course of action. This can occur in relation to the care of frail older adults. Physicians and other health-care professionals often are not taught how to disagree. This short essay outlines a few steps that can be followed to allow disagreements to be identified in a respectful manner, focused on a solution that requires something from each side. Given the importance of interdisciplinary collaborative care in geriatric medicine, having a structured approach to disagreement is likely to be a useful tool in the geriatrician’s kit.