More than one-third of U.S. physicians responding to a 2009 nationwide survey did not agree that physicians should always report colleagues who are significantly impaired or otherwise incompetent to practice. Led by Catherine M. DesRoches, DrPH, from the Mongan Institute for Health Policy, this report published in the July 14, 2010 Journal of the American Medical Association also notes that substantial numbers of physicians feel unprepared to report or otherwise deal with impaired or incompetent colleagues.

"Our findings cast serious doubt on the ability of medicine to self-regulate with regard to impaired or incompetent physicians," says Dr. DesRoches. "Since physicians themselves are the primary mechanism for detecting such colleagues, understanding their beliefs and experiences surrounding this issue is essen <more...>