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The Physician-Patient Relationship

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The Physician-Patient Relationship
Tahira Duncan
Drexel University

Abstract

Sexual contact that occurs concurrent with the patient-physician relationship is considered to be sexual misconduct. The Hippocratic Oath prohibits such relationships. The Oath is deeply rooted in first do no harm. By violating beyond the boundaries in a patient-physician relationship it cause harm to the patient.

Boundaries: The limits of appropriate behavior by a professional toward his/her client.
Transference: Of which a patient is usually unaware and/lacking insight into its significance.
Undue Influence: A judicially created defense to transactions that have been imposed upon weak and vulnerable persons that allows the transactions to be …show more content…

Patients often don’t know they have been violated usually until after interactions between patient and physician either fail or don’t work out in favor of the patient.

Sexual Misconduct Scenario:
I 've been involved with my physician for a couple of months now. There are a lot of factors which make the relationship wrong - mostly on his side: a huge age gap, his marriage & family, the fact that he 's a doctor. He also knows my father, who is a fellow doctor, and the relationship started right when I practically committed suicide. It might be a stupid question, but did he take advantage? I am fully in my right mind and did not feel abused in any way, but I suppose psychology would show that there must be some part of me that was taken advantage of. We started the relationship and after a few days, it dwindled. Now I feel abandoned and used.

The fact that the patient noted that she was fully in her right mind brings into play informed consent. Can a patient truly give consent to a sexual relationship with their physician? Considering “undue influence” a patient can’t soundly give consent to having sexual intercourse with a doctor. They lack the knowledge due to transference. Next, non-maleficence and beneficence, the Hippocratic Oath teaches, do no harm. There is a great risk to do potential harm to a patient especially by entering into a sexual relationship with them. Much of

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