How to do everything better: Setting boundaries with patients, family members

Medical regulatory authorities have strict rules about professional and personal boundaries, but translating the requirements into everyday life takes discipline. Dr. Nadya Sankat, a family physician in Brampton, Ont., said that family and friends asking for medical advice is a common occurrence. While they’re usually aware that she’s not able to treat them, they do use her as a sounding board and resource for trusted information, she said. Dr. Sankat gives them general information, and then directs them to their family doctor. Dr. Leisha Hawker, a family physician in Halifax, does the same. She provides basic medical information (e.g., “yes, you should get vaccinated”) and then steers family and friends to their own family doctor. “I think if you asked my sister and my husband, they would probably tell you that I’m not very helpful,” she laughed. Read: Incidence of total joint arthroplasty in rheumatoid arthritis declines in biologics era Dr. Jabir Jassam, a family physician in Ottawa, has taken a different route. He said that he himself can separate his personal life from his professional life, but “it is not easy for others to understand and accept it,” he said. “I limited my socialization to avoid such conflicts, so I became familiar with lockdown a long time before the COVID-19 era,” he said. In a blog for the Medical Post, Dr. Jassam wrote about how in other parts of the world, a doctor is expected to treat their families and friends. People from those countries may be confused when strict lines are drawn between professional and personal lives. Personal email and cell number When it comes to patients crossing the line, Dr. Hawker hasn’t had any problems. While most physicians don’t give their number to patients, Dr. Hawker has shared hers with family members of a patient receiving palliative care. She has never had an issue with them calling her inappropriately or sharing her number. A patient once got her personal email through an administration error, but Dr. Hawker never responded directly, forwarding the message to the receptionist, and the patient contacted the receptionist after that. Read: New U.S. guidance on pharmacologic management of rheumatoid arthritis Dr. Jassam had to block a patient’s email after they kept emailing his personal email. He also changed his personal number after a patient repeatedly called him to ask for an appointment. Dr. Hawker said that making the rules clear—and sticking to them—is key when it comes to maintaining the confines of the physician-patient relationship. With boundaries, “it is important to be consistent with all your patients so that the expectation is there,” she said.

How to do everything better: Setting boundaries with patients, family members

Register for free access or login.

Related Topics