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Professional Boundaries: Safeguarding the Physician–Patient Relationship

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Dermatoethics

Abstract

Physicians have a fiduciary relationship to patients; they must promote patient well being ahead of their own interests. Safeguarding this relationship requires identifying and respecting certain boundaries between physicians and patients. Requests for personal favors by the patient or physician, as well as transitions to personal and even romantic relationships all represent potential boundary violations. Although there is no set of rules that addresses all boundary crossings and violations, certain case-based guidelines are given to assist dermatologists in better managing these situations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Brandon H. Krupp

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  1. Brandon H. Krupp
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Correspondence to Brandon H. Krupp .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Brown University, Providence, 02912, Rhode Island, USA

    Lionel Bercovitch

  2. Brown University, Providence, 02912, Rhode Island, USA

    Clifford Perlis

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Krupp, B.H. (2012). Professional Boundaries: Safeguarding the Physician–Patient Relationship. In: Bercovitch, L., Perlis, C. (eds) Dermatoethics. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2191-6_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2191-6_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-2190-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-2191-6

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