A new survey from Harvard Medical School finds that many physicians do not report other physicians who are struggling with an addiction. Of the physicians surveyed, 17 percent had direct and personal knowledge of an impaired or incompetent physician in their workplaces, according to Catherine DesRoches, the lead author of the study.
The study is based on a 2009 survey of 1,891 practicing American physicians and appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. One-third of the surveyed physicians had not reported the matter to either hospital officials or state medical boards.
Reporting a physician struggling with an addiction can often be the catalyst for treatment and recovery. Twenty-one years ago, a colleague smelled alcohol on Dr. A. Clark Gaither’s breath and anonymously reported him to the head of the residency program. Gaither is now sober and grateful.
"I wish I knew who reported me. I’d like to give them a big ol’ hug and thank them for saving my life," said Gaither.
A system exists for getting physicians into treatment. But DesRoches said that the survey found that physicians are not confident in the system.
The American Medical Association states that physicians have an ethical obligation to report impaired colleagues. Many states require physicians to report other physicians who jeopardize their patients with their abuse of drugs or alcohol.
http://www.thetreatmentcenter.com/
