Abstract
Boundaries in the patient-physician relationship have been described since the Hippocratic Oath. While boundary issues were traditionally conceptualized as sexual boundary issues, many more boundary dilemmas require consideration in present-day practice. Additional modern boundary dilemmas include dual relationships, inappropriate prescribing for family and friends, relationships with patients’ family members, and communications in the context of social media and email. This chapter reviews boundary issues within the doctor-patient relationship and discusses various relevant professional codes published by the American Medical Association (AMA) and American Psychiatric Association (APA). Being cognizant of, and careful of, boundary issues is critical in reducing risks and avoiding malpractice litigation.
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Some of the conceptualizations in this chapter were previously presented in Friedman and Martinez (2019).
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Martinez, R., Friedman, S.H. (2022). Boundary Violations. In: Ash, P., Frierson, R.L., Friedman, S.H. (eds) Malpractice and Liability in Psychiatry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91975-7_14
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