National survey on physicians' attitudes toward social and sexual contact with patients.
To determine the attitudes of physicians toward social and sexual contact with patients, we mailed a self-report survey to a nationwide randomized sample including general practitioners, internists, obstetrician-gynecologists, and ophthalmologists. The 777 physicians who responded specified whether or not behavior such as hugging, dating, and sexual contact with their own patients may be appropriate. Less than 1% of all respondents thought that sexual contact with patients was appropriate during patient consultations. Three percent of internists and obstetrician-gynecologists considered sexual contact with patients appropriate when concurrent with treatment but outside of patient consultation, as compared with 9% of general practitioners and 12% of ophthalmologists (X2 = 17.8, df = 3, P < .001). Nearly 50% of general practitioners and more than 50% of all other physicians thought that sexual contact might be appropriate after termination of treatment of a patient. These findings may facilitate professional discussion on standards for social and sexual contact with patients.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.
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Coverdale
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Bayer
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Chiang
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Thornby
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Bangs
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006176:Gynecology; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009774:Obstetrics; D009885:Ophthalmology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D028743:Professional Misconduct; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires