"Whistleblower physicians face harsh reprisals from some hospitals"

[CAL/AAEM News Service]

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Interesting reading. I am not sure how and why it ended up in the Internal Medicine Professional Society (ACP = American College of Physicians) electronic bulletin...

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 2:21 PM

To: 'akazzi@attglobal.net'

Subject: FYI: whistleblower emergency physicians

 

>From American College of Physicians, mentions reprisals against emergency

physicians:

 

"Whistleblower physicians face harsh reprisals from some hospitals"

Physicians who complain to hospital administrators about substandard care or staffing problems sometimes face retaliation that includes the loss of their practice, drawn out investigations and no protection from whistleblower regulations that safeguard professionals in other industries.

According to the Oct. 26 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a 1998 survey found that more than 20% of emergency department physicians who brought up concerns about patient care had either been threatened with losing their job or lost their position.

The article said that some physicians who raise concerns are labeled "disruptive" by their hospitals. They are also subjected to protracted peer-review investigations, and they often can't take their disputes to court or have legal representation.

Sources quoted in the article claim that as more physicians are employed by hospitals, the objectivity of the peer-review process is being threatened-particularly in an era when hospitals are struggling for profitability and marketing clout.

Some experts recommend that hospitals reconfigure their peer review process so it includes outside representatives, and not just members of the hospital staff. That move, they say, would help protect whistleblower physicians.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article is online at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03299/234499.stm.



Brian Potts 
Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service 
MS-IV, UC-Irvine

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<DIV><FONT size=2>
<P>Interesting reading. I am not sure how and why it ended up in the Internal Medicine Professional Society (ACP = American College of Physicians) electronic bulletin...</P>
<P>-----Original Message-----</P>
<P>Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 2:21 PM</P>
<P>To: 'akazzi@attglobal.net'</P>
<P>Subject: FYI: whistleblower emergency physicians</P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P>From American College of Physicians, mentions reprisals against emergency</P>
<P>physicians:</P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P>"Whistleblower physicians face harsh reprisals from some hospitals"</P>
<P>Physicians who complain to hospital administrators about substandard care or staffing problems sometimes face retaliation that includes the loss of their practice, drawn out investigations and no protection from whistleblower regulations that safeguard professionals in other industries.</P>
<P>According to the Oct. 26 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a 1998 survey found that more than 20% of emergency department physicians who brought up concerns about patient care had either been threatened with losing their job or lost their position.</P>
<P>The article said that some physicians who raise concerns are labeled "disruptive" by their hospitals. They are also subjected to protracted peer-review investigations, and they often can't take their disputes to court or have legal representation.</P>
<P>Sources quoted in the article claim that as more physicians are employed by hospitals, the objectivity of the peer-review process is being threatened-particularly in an era when hospitals are struggling for profitability and marketing clout.</P>
<P>Some experts recommend that hospitals reconfigure their peer review process so it includes outside representatives, and not just members of the hospital staff. That move, they say, would help protect whistleblower physicians.</P>
<P>The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article is online at </FONT><A href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03299/234499.stm"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03299/234499.stm</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>.</P></FONT></DIV><BR><BR><STRONG>Brian Potts <BR>Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service</STRONG> <BR>MS-IV, UC-Irvine<p><hr SIZE=1>
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