When questioned about doctor-patient friendships, nearly 30 percent of respondents to a survey say they do indeed make friends with their patients.
Respondents who avoided these friendships cited concerns about objectivity as one of the key deterrents to such relationships.
Over-familiarity with a patient can lead to assumptions about a medical condition. A patient who is a friend may shy away from sharing certain medical details, leading to both under and overtreatment.
The American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Medical Ethics: Patient-physician Relationships stops short of addressing friendships.
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