• Elizabeth Baxley, Shannon Dunahue, Annie Koempel, Andrea Anderson, Beth Hansen, Gary LeRoy, and Michael Magill.
• From the Executive Vice President, American Board of Family Medicine, Lexington, KY (EB); Program Manager, Professionalism Department, American Board of Family Medicine, Lexington, KY (SD); Qualitative Scientist, Research Department, American Board of Family Medicine, Lexington, KY (AK); Associate Professor and Associate Chief, Division of Family Medicine, The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC (AA); PGY-1 Resident, General Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (BH); Senior Vice President for Diplomate Experience, American Board of Family Medicine, Lexington, KY (GL); Professor Emeritus, Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (MKM). ebaxley@theabfm.org).
• J Am Board Fam Med. 2024 Jul 1; 37 (4): 698705698-705.

PurposeSexual misconduct by physicians is a consequential violation of patient trust. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and patterns of sexual misconduct by physicians certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM).MethodsWe described a cohort of current or formerly ABFM certified physicians ("Diplomates") disciplined for sexual misconduct in 2016 to 2022.ResultsNinety-four physicians, representing only 0.1% of ABFM Diplomates, were identified as having received disciplinary action(s) for reported sexual misconduct. These constituted 8.9% of the 1122 cases that resulted in a physician losing board certification or eligibility for any cause in 2016 to 2022. Ninety-three of the 94 physicians identified as male, with an average age of 56 (range 22 to 88 years). Eighty-nine percent of victims were female, and 90% were patients of the physician. Unwanted sexual behavior/assault occurred in more than half of the cases, whereas one third described an ongoing sexual relationship between patient and physician. Nearly 1 in 5 cases also included controlled substance prescribing. Seven cases involved minors. Noncontact ("grooming") behaviors were described in 34 cases, 28 of which included subsequent physical sexual behavior. A clinical setting was the site of misconduct in 84% of cases.ConclusionsReports of sexual misconduct among board-certified family physicians are infrequent. However, any sexual misconduct by physicians is harmful to patients and the profession. The specialty should work to enhance education and change professional culture to mitigate this important problem.© Copyright by the American Board of Family Medicine.

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