Book excerpt: Using a clear, straightforward approach, this book provides a patient-oriented approach to complaint handling that can be used by all staff in an office, clinic, or system. Readers will learn how to develop a system for documenting patient complaints and comments, As well as strategies for monitoring and analyzing the information documented by patient claims. Other tools include a mechanism for changing behaviors of health care providers and improving delivery systems, strategies for dealing with difficult and abusive patients, and sample scripted transcripts for dealing with the most common types of complaints heard by health care practitioners. With a solid service recovery system in place, health care organizations and practices can meet accreditation agency standards for grievance processes, and, As a result, greatly reduce risk management claims. Resolving Patient Complaints: A Step-by-Step Guide to Effective Service Recovery provides managers, physicians, and employees with the skills and tools necessary to implement a service recovery process to respond to and review patient complaints and concerns about quality of care. Author Liz Osborne draws on her 15 years of experience as manager of a patient relations department in a large HMO to give expert advice on addressing patient dissatisfaction appropriately and effectively.