I have Crohn’s disease. This essay is about how my
experiences with this disease have shaped my perceptions of boundaries in
medicine, particularly around the issue of self-disclosure. I became a pediatrician
first, then a parent, and now a patient, and with each new role, I have become
increasingly confused on where boundaries regarding self-disclosures in
medicine lie. I’d like to make the case for more of a reframing and a blurring
of personal and professional boundaries regarding physicians’ disclosures about
their own health. Although historically thought of as a way to strengthen the
physician-patient relationship and therefore encouraged, physician disclosure
has recently become more controversial, and boundary discussions that include
it seem to increasingly begin from the edict, “Don’t do it.” But why not
capitalize on the shared experience of physicians and patients? It offers an
opportunity to deepen our therapeutic relationship with our patients, to build
trust, to help understanding, and maybe even to improve patient outcomes.
I have Crohn’s disease. This essay is about how my
experiences with this disease have shaped my perceptions of boundaries in
medicine, particularly around the issue of self-disclosure. I became a pediatrician
first, then a parent, and now a patient, and with each new role, I have become
increasingly confused on where boundaries regarding self-disclosures in
medicine lie. I’d like to make the case for more of a reframing and a blurring
of personal and professional boundaries regarding physicians’ disclosures about
their own health. Although historically thought of as a way to strengthen the
physician-patient relationship and therefore encouraged, physician disclosure
has recently become more controversial, and boundary discussions that include
it seem to increasingly begin from the edict, “Don’t do it.” But why not
capitalize on the shared experience of physicians and patients? It offers an
opportunity to deepen our therapeutic relationship with our patients, to build
trust, to help understanding, and maybe even to improve patient outcomes.