Daniel Duffy, a chiropractor in Perry, Iowa, will be able to continue treating patients despite facing misdemeanor assault charges. The charges were filed after a female patient accused him of acting inappropriately at his office. One of her complaints includes hearing him unzip his pants.
Duffy is currently free on bond and allowed to treat patients. The Iowa Board of Chiropractic, however, has noted that Duffy presents a danger to his female patients. Although it is hard to imagine that female patients, or any patients, will continue seeing Duffy, the Board is placing some restrictions that will protect patients from harassment.
One of the stipulations says that Duffy must have a female associate present whenever he serves female clients. Having another person in the room offers several potential benefits. First, it is unlikely that Duffy will make advances in the presence of someone else. It is also unlikely that the female associate would allow such behavior if Duffy did, in fact, continue to act inappropriately. The female associate will also be able to give third-party testimony about any events that take place. Perhaps most importantly, having a female nurse or doctor in the room will help patients feel more comfortable.
This is common practice in most health care industries, so it seems somewhat odd that chiropractors are not expected to follow the same guidelines. Most male doctors will only see female patients with another woman present. This is especially true of doctors who will have close contact with the patient’s body.
Having a female professional present communicates several things. It tells the patient that she does not have to worry about inappropriate behavior and it shows that the male doctor is aware of her position as a woman seeking medical treatment.
This practice, however, also benefits the doctor significantly. Duffy’s accuser states that she heard him unzip his pants. This is not the type of evidence that is easy to prove or disprove. Having a third party in the room gives chiropractors and other health care practitioners to protect themselves from untrue allegations.
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