Disruptive physicians...and how to deal with them

Physician behavioral issues take a toll on medical groups, and practice leaders often lack the basic tools to address them. All too often, medical practice leaders and administrators look the other way when physicians are disruptive or behave inappropriately. They delay dealing with negative conduct for a variety of reasons and allow physicians to continue to act out in ways that would never be tolerated in a staff member. Much has been written about how to deal with serious issues in physician behavior, such as impairment and addiction. This article addresses how to recognize and manage less extreme and more chronic disruptive behaviors. It provldes the reader with comprehensive tools to identify and address these issues, including a "do and don't" list and a simple five-question test to assess in an unbiased way what steps should be taken.