Roles and Relationships Between Family Medicine Faculty and Residents.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professional Ethics
• Family Medicine

Background:

• Family medicine faculty engage in multiple roles with residents, including teaching, advising, and supervising.
• Overlapping responsibilities can lead to dual relationships, blurring professional boundaries and raising ethical concerns.
• Existing national guidelines inadequately address common non-curricular faculty-resident interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the prevalence and types of dual relationships in family medicine residencies.
• To assess the consequences of these relationships on residents, faculty, and programs.
• To evaluate faculty awareness of existing policies regarding dual relationships.

Main Methods:

• A convergent mixed-methods survey was administered to US family medicine faculty.
• Quantitative data included demographics, dual relationship frequency, and policy awareness.
• Qualitative data were gathered through an open-ended prompt on boundary crossings and analyzed thematically.

Main Results:

• 213 faculty responded, reporting frequent social (68%) and minor service provision (54%) dual relationships.
• Behavioral health faculty were more likely to provide minor services, while physician faculty provided intensive services.
• Awareness of residency policies was low, and qualitative analysis revealed negative impacts from boundary crossings.

Conclusions:

• Dual relationships are prevalent in family medicine residency programs.
• Current policy guidance for non-curricular interactions is insufficient.
• Enhanced institutional and professional guidelines are needed to support resident wellness and maintain professional boundaries.