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Physicians' willingness to report impaired colleagues
Neil J Farber1, Stephanie G Gilibert, Brian M Aboff
1Department of Medicine, Christiana Care Health System, 501 West 14th Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19899, USA. nfarber@christianacare.org
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|May 11, 2005
Summary
Physicians are more likely to report colleagues with substance abuse issues than those with emotional or cognitive impairments to Physician Health Programs (PHPs). Education on PHPs and reporting obligations is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Physician Well-being
- Professional Responsibility
Background:
- Physician impairment poses risks to patient safety and the medical profession.
- Physician Health Programs (PHPs) exist to support and manage impaired physicians.
- Understanding physician attitudes toward reporting is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors influencing physicians' willingness to report impaired colleagues to PHPs.
- To explore differences in reporting likelihood based on the type of impairment.
- To examine the role of perceived obligations and knowledge of guidelines in reporting behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional mail survey of 1000 randomly selected US practicing physicians.
- Survey assessed willingness to report 10 hypothetical impaired physician scenarios.
- Statistical analysis (p-values) used to determine significant associations.
Main Results:
- A majority of physicians indicated willingness to report impaired colleagues.
- Physicians were significantly more likely to report substance abuse impairment compared to emotional or cognitive impairment (p<0.001).
- A sense of societal obligation and knowledge of reporting guidelines correlated with higher reporting likelihood (p=0.006, p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Physician reporting of impairment is influenced by the type of impairment and perceived obligations.
- Awareness of reporting guidelines and PHPs is associated with increased reporting.
- Educational initiatives are needed to inform physicians about PHPs and their ethical/legal duties regarding impaired colleagues.