RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Doctors’ experiences when treating doctor–patients: a scoping review
JF BJGP Open
JO BJGP Open
FD Royal College of General Practitioners
SP BJGPO.2023.0090
DO 10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0090
VO 7
IS 4
A1 Hutton, Claire J
A1 Kay, Margaret
A1 Round, Penny
A1 Barton, Chris
YR 2023
UL http://bjgpopen.org/content/7/4/BJGPO.2023.0090.abstract
AB Background To work effectively, doctors need to look after themselves. They often delay seeking medical care for a range of reasons. Once they do, there is evidence that the doctors treating them (’treating doctors’) can struggle to provide optimal care.Aim To examine existing literature on what is currently known about experiences for treating doctors, in particular GPs, when their patient is also a doctor.Design & setting A scoping review of articles written in English.Method Using the JBI methodological framework for scoping reviews, five databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL [Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health], Google Scholar, and Scopus) were searched from the database start date until 31 December 2022. Qualitative and quantitative studies reporting the treating doctor’s experience, guidelines for treating doctors, expert opinion articles, and editorials were included. Grey literature was considered, searching the first 10 pages of two Google searches.Results Forty-eight articles from eight countries met inclusion criteria, of which 12 were research studies. The main areas of focus were as follows: affective responses, which included anxiety about being criticised, concern about upsetting the doctor–patient, and discomfort regarding the acknowledgement that doctors get sick; relational factors, which included boundary issues, over-identifying with the doctor–patient, treating them as a colleague rather than a patient, and role ambiguity; confidentiality, which incorporated both affective and relational aspects; and influence of medical culture and socialisation on dynamics between treating doctor and doctor–patient. These findings have been distilled into a list of key suggestions for the treating doctor.Conclusion Doctors can find treating doctor–patients anxiety-provoking and challenging. The sources of this discomfort are multifaceted, and more empirical research is needed to better understand and address the complex relationship between treating doctor and doctor–patient.