What to Do When Patients Try to Bully You for Financial Gain

By Erik Goldman

“Give me a refund or I will post negative reviews about your practice.” A growing number of practitioners are facing extortionary behavior from malcontented patients who try to take advantage of their fear of conflict and people-pleasing tendencies, says healthcare attorney Ericka Adler. (Image: Nito/Shutterstock)

How should you respond if a patient tries to extort free services, refunds, or special favors by threatening you with negative social media, medical board complaints, or malpractice suits?

This is a growing problem that many practitioners are experiencing but few are talking about, says Ericka Adler, a healthcare attorney with the Chicago-based law firm of Roetzel & Andress. It is time to end the silence.

When faced with this situation, most clinicians simply acquiesce and give the patients-turned-bullies what they want. Sometimes that’s the smart option, given the cost of a legal battle. But in some cases, it is right to fight, especially when your professional reputation or your license is at stake.

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HPC Video

The Gut-X Axis: A New Frontier in Systems-Based Care

Written by Erik Goldman

Join resbiotic’s Kara Siedman, RDN, CDCES, for a science-driven look at the Gut–X Axis—an emerging framework that highlights the gut microbiome’s influence on the lungs, digestive system, and metabolism.

This session will cover how dysbiosis and microbial metabolites drive systemic inflammation and chronic disease, with a focus on gut-lung and gut-metabolic crosstalk.

Rooted in the latest research, we’ll introduce the clinical rationale behind resbiotic’s precision-formulated probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics developed by physician-scientists to restore targeted balance via the Gut–X Axis.

If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of gut-organ communication, or you want to learn how to apply microbiome strategies in practice, this webinar delivers actionable insights to support better clinical outcomes.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the fundamentals of the Gut–X Axis, and how the gut microbiome influences systemic health through gut-organ communication pathways
  • Explore the Gut–Lung and Gut–Metabolic Axes and their roles in chronic inflammation and disease progression
  • Learn how resbiotic’s targeted formulations are designed to support balance across these interconnected systems
  • Discover practical strategies for integrating precision microbiome support into clinical protocols to enhance patient outcomes

SPONSORED BY

Kara Siedman, RDN, CDCES, is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist with over 15 years of clinical experience in inpatient care, outpatient program development, and integrative/functional nutrition. She earned her degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and completed her dietetic internship at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Kara’s work in a leading gastroenterology practice sparked her transition into functional nutrition, where she integrated root-cause approaches into GI care. Her passion for the gut microbiome evolved into a professional specialty, leading her to collaborate with biotech and microbiome-focused companies like Pendulum, Microbiome Labs, and now resbiotic. As Director of Partnerships at resbiotic, Kara educates healthcare practitioners on microbiome science and the clinical application of targeted microbiome therapies. She brings clarity, credibility, and passion to gut health education.

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