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Love, boundaries, and the patient-physician relationship
Journal article

Love, boundaries, and the patient-physician relationship

N J Farber, D H Novack and M K OBrien
Archives of internal medicine (1960), v 157(20), pp 2291-2294
10 Nov 1997
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.157.20.2291
PMID: 9361568
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

Abstract

General & Internal Medicine Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medicine, General & Internal Science & Technology
Physicians often use their relationships with patients to promote specific therapeutic goals. Because of their personal histories, values, and biases, patients may react to physicians in ways that inhibit or enhance the relationship. The feelings that are aroused may induce physicians to become overly distant, engendering patient and physician dissatisfaction, or to become overly involved emotionally, which can have serious psychological and clinical consequences. We explore how a balance between clinical objectivity and bonding with the patient is optimal and achievable. The nature and origin of personal boundaries are described. Boundary transgressions on the part of the patient are discussed, and the means of preventing transgressions by both patients and physicians through medical education, the process of self-awareness, and an exploration of family-of-origin issues are proposed. Through attention to communication with patients, the physician can maintain an empathetic yet objective relationship with the patient.

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6 Record Views
44 citations in Web of Science
65 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Psychiatry
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