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A new study suggests that doctors don’t always report incompetent or impaired colleagues, even though almost all think they should.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, is believed to be the first to of its kind. Researchers evaluated the extent to which doctors support and adhere to professional standards. More than 3,500 doctors were surveyed for the study.

Only Half Report

Of the 1,662 doctors who responded, 96 percent said physicians should always report colleagues who are impaired, incompetent or make a doctor mistake. However, of those who had direct knowledge of peer incompetence within the past three years, only 55 percent made a report.

“You don’t have to convince them what they ought to be doing,” said Harvard internist and study author David Blumenthal. “I think human beings always fall short of their aspirations. The intent of the paper was not to criticize but to…highlight the areas for improvement.”

Protection for Doctors Needed?

Cardiologists, pediatricians, family practitioners, surgeons, internists, and anesthesiologists were among the specialists surveyed. Those least likely to report a fellow doctor for incompetence were cardiologists and practitioners.

According to the CEO of the American College of Cardiology, Jack Lewin, cardiologists may be more apt to deal with problems within their practice since they tend to practice in groups. He also said many doctors may avoid reporting colleagues for fear of being sued.

“We probably need some kind of whistleblower protection for doctors,” Lewin said.

(Source: USA Today online)

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