Table 2.

The Most Important Boundary Transgression in the Previous 12 Months

Response To Incident
Note written in chart, n(%)*
Overly affectionate patient	6 (21)
Use of sexually explicit language	7 (26)
Attempts to socialize with physician	2 (9)
Use of physician's first name	0 (0)
Giving of large/expensive gifts	1 (5)
Asking physician personal questions	4 (17)
Sexual contact with physician	3 (50)
Verbally abusive patient	63 (79)
Physically abusive patient	10 (83)
How incident was handled, n(%)†
Discussed with patient	121 (37)
Talked with colleagues	111 (34)
Ignored incident	97 (29)
Dismissed from practice	36 (11)
Called for assistance	30 (9)
Other	44 (13)
How incident affected patient-physician relationship, n(%)
Very negatively	37 (11)
Negatively	93 (28)
Not at all	122 (37)
Positively	24 (7)
Very positively	3 (2)
No answer	51 (15)

^*Physicians who wrote a note in chart as a percentage of the total number of physicians indicating each category as the most important boundary transgression encountered in previous 12 months.

^†Percentage adds up to more than 100 because physicians could choose all actions that applied.