title: Social and sexual contact between general practitioners and patients in New Zealand: attitudes and prevalence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Doctor-patient social and sexual contact is increasingly acknowledged as an issue of importance for the medical profession. However, there is little research concerning general practitioners on this topic.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A study was undertaken to obtain data on social and sexual contact between general practitioners and their patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous questionnaire was mailed to a nationwide randomized sample of 217 general practitioners in New Zealand.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A response rate of 86% was obtained. Dating and sexual contact with patients was considered to be sometimes or usually acceptable to 35% and 10% of general practitioners, respectively. Of respondents, 6% reported having dated a patient, 4% reported having had sexual contact with a patient at some point during their career and 2% reported having engaged in sexual contact with a former patient. General practitioners who had personally known of a colleague who had engaged in sexual contact with a patient were more likely to believe this behaviour had negative consequences than general practitioners who themselves reported having engaged in sexual contact with a patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study results have implications for developing behavioural guidelines and educational interventions for general practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, University of Aukland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Coverdale
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family; D028743:Professional Misconduct; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012919:Social Behavior