Is it weird to give your doctor a gift?

The AMA’s policy notes that physicians should never allow a gift or offer of a gift to influence the medical care that they provide to those patients. Consider how accepting (or refusing) a gift will affect your relationship. If you do decide to decline the gift, take care to communicate your reasons for doing so.

Can I be friends with my doctor?

Some boundaries are clear. Professional medical organizations have strict rules against sex and romance with patients. Doctors are also advised not to treat family or close friends, situations that could compromise objectivity and judgment. Under HIPAA, it is a no-no to name-drop other patients.

Is it OK to hug patients?

A hug is much more informal compared to the handshake, which results in a slippery slope. As health care providers who need to be objective, it is important to maintain some boundaries that maintain the doctor-patient relationship (add any healthcare provider you want to in place of doctor). Hugging patients blurs those boundaries.

Can hugs be misconstrued as intimate?

The concern in this case is that the meaning of a hug can be misconstrued by a patient as meaning something more intimate than was intended. In addition or alternatively, some accidental touching to sensitive body area can occur during a hug that is misinterpreted by either person.

Is it sexual harassment to touch someone during a hug?

In addition or alternatively, some accidental touching to sensitive body area can occur during a hug that is misinterpreted by either person. This can raise concerns of sexual harassment as the person can claim that the touch was unwelcome.

Is it OK to hug your spouse instead of shake their hand?

For starters, hugs, unlike handshakes, are sometimes intimate gestures. You hug your spouse during intimate moments but you do not shake your spouse’s hand. A hug is much more informal compared to the handshake, which results in a slippery slope.

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