Abuse of the doctor-patient relationship - Fiona Subotsky

The doctor-patient relationship is fraught with risk. Patients may be at risk from a doctor who misuses their position of authority, or is unclear where the appropriate boundaries lie. Doctors risk disciplinary or criminal proceedings when this happens. This book aims to address these risks, to assist clinicians in their daily relationships with patients, and to improve patient safety.

The authors examine the ethical principles and how these may be taught; prevalence of abuse; regulation and sanctions; management and governance; remediation; and the roles of the different organisations that may be involved, such as the General Medical Council and medical protection societies.

• Practical guide to help clinicians avoid boundary violations and improve patient safety.
• Expert contributions from a wide range of professionals.
• Special focus on abuse by nurses, psychotherapists, sexual therapists and gynaecologists.
• Extensively illustrated with case examples.
• Includes professional guidelines.

Readership:

A multidisciplinary approach makes this book useful for all doctors and medical trainees, especially general practitioners and gynaecologists, as well as all mental health professionals, nurses, social workers and their teachers and students. Health service managers and regulators, and their legal advisers, will also find this indispensable.