A Patient with Paranoid Schizophrenia Comes to the Office for an Annual

Multiple Choice

A patient with paranoid schizophrenia comes to the office for an annual checkup. When the medical assistant attempts to take his temperature, the patient insists on using an oral thermometer that he brought from his home because he says that the office thermometer "might have bugs." Which of the following responses by the medical assistant represents empathy?

A) Taking the patient's temperature with his thermometer
B) Documenting the patient's refusal to have his temperature taken
C) Allowing the patient to take his temperature himself with an oral thermometer
D) Asking the office manager to handle this difficult patient
E) Telling the patient, "Don't worry, we don't have bugs here."