The professional relationship between doctors and patients - updated AMA guidance

AMA Patient Examination Guidelines 2012

The AMA today released two updated Position Statements that deal with the professional relationship between doctors and patients.

Doctors have an ethical and legal duty to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with their patients.

The AMA Position Statement on Sexual Boundaries Between Doctors and Their Patients 2012 provides guidance to doctors on maintaining appropriate sexual boundaries with patients, former patients, and patients' carers and close family members.  This Position Statement replaces the Position Statement on Sexual Conduct Between Doctors and Their Patients 1994. 

The major amendments to the Position Statement include:

• It now refers to maintaining appropriate boundaries with former patients as well as patients’ carers and family members;
• There is a greater emphasis on consent, including where consent is uncertain or has been withdrawn;
• It now refers to chaperones; and
• It refers to guidelines from the Medical Board of Australia on sexual boundaries as well as mandatory reporting.

The Patient Examination Guidelines 2012 statement provides advice to doctors on conducting physical examinations.  The Guidelines address consent and communication, privacy, examination of patients who lack decision-making capacity, and the use of chaperones.  It replaces the Patient Examination Guidelines 1996.

The major amendments to the Position Statement include:

• There is a greater emphasis on consent, including where consent is uncertain or has been withdrawn;
• There is a greater emphasis on how to appropriately conduct an examination; and
• It now refers to chaperones.

The AMA Position Statement on Sexual Boundaries Between Doctors and Their Patients 2012 is at http://ama.com.au/node/521

The AMA Patient Examination Guidelines 2012 statement is at http://ama.com.au/node/514

CONTACT:         John Flannery                       02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761