Professional Boundaries & Sexual Misconduct

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Distinguish appropriate professional boundaries, boundary crossings, and boundary violations within the patient-physician relationship (AOA core competency: Professionalism).

2. Select strategies that prevent physician sexual misconduct and harassment, including appropriate conduct during basic, sensitive, and intimate examinations and appropriate chaperone use.

3. Explain the ethical and legal responsibilities governing patient-physician interactions, including guidance on current patients, former patients, key third parties, and digital communication.

4. Determine appropriate reporting, consultation, and institutional escalation actions when physician sexual misconduct is suspected or known.

Professional boundaries protect the integrity of the physician-patient relationship by keeping clinical decisions and interactions focused on the patient’s care. This course examines professional boundaries, boundary crossings, boundary violations, physician sexual misconduct, harassment, sensitive and intimate examinations, chaperone use, former-patient relationships, digital communication, and reporting responsibilities. Learners will develop the ability to recognize boundary drift, apply ethical and Georgia-specific legal standards, conduct examinations using appropriate communication and safeguards, and select suitable consultation, reporting, and escalation actions.

The course addresses documented gaps in chaperone use and documentation, uncertainty regarding relationships with former patients and key third parties, and difficulty distinguishing professional escalation from legally mandated reporting. These gaps can affect patient safety, professional judgment, regulatory compliance, and trust in the clinical relationship.

This course satisfies the 2-hour Professional Boundaries CME training for physicians in Georgia.