Sexual Misconduct Among Physicians Prevalent
A staggering 4 out of every 10 doctors disciplined for sexual misconduct continue to practice medicine due to "overly lenient" actions by regulatory agencies, a patient watchdog group recently charged. The trend has disturbing image implications on the hospital industry.
The Public Citizen's Health Research Group, Washington, D.C., found that nearly 40 percent of 542 physicians disciplined for sex-related offenses in 1981 are currently licensed to practice in one or more of the jurisdictions that sanctioned them. Another 9 percent of physicians hold suspended licenses that could be reinstated, according to the group's finding.
The biggest offenders-psychiatrists, child psychiatrists, obstetricians-gynecologists and family practitioners-include sexual contact with patients, public indecency, sexual harassment, and sexual offenses involving members of the physician's family.
Among the study's key findings:
- In 1994, a mere.02 percent of doctors were actually sanctioned for sexual misconduct, juxtaposed to 3.5 to 13 percent of doctors guilty of such offenses.
- Doctors disciplined for sexual misconduct tended to be older (about 50 years old) than the average doctor.
- Urban doctors were no more likely to have been disciplined than rural doctors.
(Public Citizen's Health Research Group, 202/588-1000)
Stroke Prevention Program Becomes Success Story
An aggressive stroke education program designed to increase the usage of anticoagulants (blood thinning drugs) for potential stroke victims in California hospitals has resulted in an almost 100 percent increase in use, according to California Medical Review Inc. (CMRI), the San Francisco-based quality improvement organization (QIO) that measures healthcare outcomes and implemented the program and announced the results for National Stroke Month (May).
Although anticoagulants are considered safe and effective in stroke prevention, studies have shown that they are underutilized nationwide. CMRI partnered with about 60 California hospitals to educate physicians, providers and patients about the importance and effectiveness of anticoagulants. The aggressive efforts paid off. Re-measurement data released this month by CMRI indicate that 60 percent of patients-double the amount from initial studies-had received blood thinning therapies. (CMRI, 415/882-5800)