title: Boundary issues. What do they mean for family physicians?
abstract: Clear boundaries between physicians and patients help prevent abusive behaviour. Enforced boundaries help physicians fulfil their legal, ethical, and professional tasks. We review common elements in boundary violations: role reversal, secrecy, double binds, and indulgence of professional privilege. We also outline the legal and licensing issues of boundary violations and offer examples of nine boundaries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Linklater
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: MacDougall
mesh_terms: D003020:Clothing; D008192:Deception; D004309:Double Bind Interaction; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005653:Fund Raising; D006801:Humans; D008007:Licensure, Medical; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014110:Touch