physician impairment

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Introduction

inability to safely perform patient care duties

Etiology

Management

  • physicians have an ethical responsibility to safeguard patients from impaired physicians
    • includes taking action when an impaired colleague puts patient(s) at risk
  • a stepwise approach is recommended
    • directly approach the colleague & help him/her plan for confidential evaluation
    • the next step is a report to clinical supervisors or the local or state medical society
    • impaired physicians must be reported to the state medical board
      • only after confidential evaluation determines impairment

More general terms

References

  1. Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 14, 16, 19 American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2006, 2012, 2022
    Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 20 American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2025
  2. Candilis PJ, Kim DT, Sulmasy LS; ACP Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee. Physician impairment and rehabilitation: reintegration into medical practice while ensuring patient safety: a position paper from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2019;170:871-879. PMID: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31158847
  3. DesRoches CM, Rao SR, Fromson JA et al Physicians' perceptions, preparedness for reporting, and experiences related to impaired and incompetent colleagues. JAMA. 2010 Jul 14;304(2):187-93. PMID: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20628132