Accepting gifts from patients.

Appreciative patients often present their family physicians with gifts, an apparently simple act that can raise complex issues in the care relationship. There are no definitive regulations regarding accepting gifts from patients, and opposing views exist. Some believe physicians should never accept gifts because it might influence the standard of care or weaken the fiduciary relationship. Others believe that accepting gifts in certain circumstances allows patients to express gratitude and strengthens the physician-patient bond. It is worthwhile to examine the ethical arguments on both sides, and to consider how the decision about whether to accept gifts might be influenced by factors such as the nature and longevity of the physician-patient relationship; the cost, type, and timing of the gift; and the apparent motivation behind giving it.