Doctors are expected to keep a professional boundary between themselves and patients, but romance can strike at any time—which begs the question: Is it ever appropriate for physicians to date patients?
Docs themselves have mixed responses to the issue. An ethics survey released by Medscape Medical News found that the number of physicians who view such relationships as acceptable has increased, but the majority (70%) still believe it crosses a line. However, that is a 13% drop from the same survey in 2010, Medscape reports, and according to the results, a quarter of male doctors and a fifth of female doctors think it’s OK to date a patient.
A number of the 7,500 doctors who responded to the survey said that the context of the situation is key to determining whether a relationship with a patient crosses an ethical line. One physician told Medscape that primary care providers shouldn’t enter romantic relationships with patients they see regularly, but if sparks fly after a one-time meeting with an emergency physician or specialist, then it’s less of a concern. The American Medical Association's code of ethics suggests doctors fully terminate the physician-patient relationship before pursuing a romantic one.
“The heart wants what it wants,” a general surgeon told the publication. "Well-educated and informed adults can make their own decisions. But in a romantic relationship, the patient/physician relationship is probably irretrievably altered, and suitable provisions must be made for this."
Power dynamics play a role on these relationships, and it’s not entirely uncommon for physicians to come under fire for sexual misconduct with patients. An investigation by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution over the summer found that 2,400 doctors had been sanctioned for sexual abuse, but notes that the number is likely much higher. Most, if not all, doctors have experience with flirtatious or forward patients, and such liaisons could ruin a physician’s career, so it’s important that doctors take these matters seriously and handle them appropriately.