2008 Woodie Awards
M.D.s may stay mum
Alyssa Cashman - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 12/17/07 Section: Metro
- Page 1 of 1
Although most doctors say they would report an impaired or incompetent colleague, nearly half haven't done so, according to a recent study.
In a study published in the *Annals of Internal Medicine* this month, 45 percent of surveyed doctors reported that in at least one case when they had direct knowledge of a colleague's impairment, they did not report it. About 96 percent said that these cases should always be reported.
Physicians from six different medical fields were surveyed, and 1,662 doctors responded. When asking physicians to respond, however, the study did not provide a definition for "impaired" or "incompetent."
"The medical profession is supposed to be self-regulated," said Lauris Kaldjian, the director of the UI program in biomedical ethics. "Society gives freedoms to the medical profession, and one of those is a real degree of professional autonomy."
But this type of liberty can cause obstacles. Some physicians might choose to look the other way because they hope that any erratic behavior is just a fluke, said Janeta Tansey, a UI clinical associate professor of psychiatry. Her research interests include medical and psychiatric ethics.
Officials could not comment on whether this problem was present at the UI Hospitals and Clinics. Issues dealing with impaired doctors were handled through peer review processes or by the Board of Medical Examiners, said William Hesson, the UIHC senior associate director for legal affairs.
Reporting an impaired colleague is a very serious step that physicians are sometimes unprepared to do. Doctors might be afraid that the same thing could happen to them, Tansey said.
Patients and their well-being should be the main factor doctors consider when debating whether a colleague should be reported, Kaldjian said.
"I have worries about how the public takes this information," Tansey said. "There's been a trend to be very intolerant of physicians and their frailties."
Tansey also said that, ideally, such reports could lead to a renewed sense of compassion for physicians. Conversely, patients shouldn't simply look the other way either if they suspect a problem.
Kaldjian emphasized the need for more research into the issue. Ideally, knowing what specific situations doctors would or wouldn't report would be helpful in clarifying the problem.
Changes in other areas of the medical profession could cause doctors to be more accountable - doctors are now working with more non-physicians than ever before, Tansey said. Increased focus on stress management early in physicians' careers is vital to preventing impairments, she added. Tansey said that this was the first year that a stress management lecture was available for first-year medical students at the UI.
"We will be able to bring up a group that is less likely to be in denial and that will intervene early before we get to this crisis stage," she said.
E-mail *DI* reporter Alyssa Cashman at:
alyssa-cashman@uiowa.edu
In a study published in the *Annals of Internal Medicine* this month, 45 percent of surveyed doctors reported that in at least one case when they had direct knowledge of a colleague's impairment, they did not report it. About 96 percent said that these cases should always be reported.
Physicians from six different medical fields were surveyed, and 1,662 doctors responded. When asking physicians to respond, however, the study did not provide a definition for "impaired" or "incompetent."
"The medical profession is supposed to be self-regulated," said Lauris Kaldjian, the director of the UI program in biomedical ethics. "Society gives freedoms to the medical profession, and one of those is a real degree of professional autonomy."
But this type of liberty can cause obstacles. Some physicians might choose to look the other way because they hope that any erratic behavior is just a fluke, said Janeta Tansey, a UI clinical associate professor of psychiatry. Her research interests include medical and psychiatric ethics.
Officials could not comment on whether this problem was present at the UI Hospitals and Clinics. Issues dealing with impaired doctors were handled through peer review processes or by the Board of Medical Examiners, said William Hesson, the UIHC senior associate director for legal affairs.
Reporting an impaired colleague is a very serious step that physicians are sometimes unprepared to do. Doctors might be afraid that the same thing could happen to them, Tansey said.
Patients and their well-being should be the main factor doctors consider when debating whether a colleague should be reported, Kaldjian said.
"I have worries about how the public takes this information," Tansey said. "There's been a trend to be very intolerant of physicians and their frailties."
Tansey also said that, ideally, such reports could lead to a renewed sense of compassion for physicians. Conversely, patients shouldn't simply look the other way either if they suspect a problem.
Kaldjian emphasized the need for more research into the issue. Ideally, knowing what specific situations doctors would or wouldn't report would be helpful in clarifying the problem.
Changes in other areas of the medical profession could cause doctors to be more accountable - doctors are now working with more non-physicians than ever before, Tansey said. Increased focus on stress management early in physicians' careers is vital to preventing impairments, she added. Tansey said that this was the first year that a stress management lecture was available for first-year medical students at the UI.
"We will be able to bring up a group that is less likely to be in denial and that will intervene early before we get to this crisis stage," she said.
E-mail *DI* reporter Alyssa Cashman at:
alyssa-cashman@uiowa.edu
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