This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (16)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Richard P. Kusserow; Elisabeth A. Handley, MPA; Mark R. Yessian, PhD

JAMA. 1987;257(6):820-824.

Abstract
The Office of Inspector General's responsibility for financially penalizing and excluding health care professionals from Medicare and Medicaid participation led to an interest in examining the state medical boards' licensure and discipline processes. This article discusses the results of the subsequent study and focuses only on medical discipline issues. We found that the rate of disciplinary actions taken by boards has been increasing. However, revocations and suspensions, the most serious category of actions, have remained relatively constant. Additionally, consumers and law enforcement agencies are the most active sources of possible violations. Individual health care professionals, hospitals, peer review organizations, and medical societies provide strikingly few reports. To rectify these problems, we encourage states to increase physician license renewal fees to fund expansion and improvement of boards' enforcement activities and to consider ways to limit the legal liability of those making goodfaith referrals.

(JAMA 1987;257:820-824)

Author Affiliations
From the Office of the Inspector General, US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC. Ms Handley is now with the Health Care Financing Administration, Washington, DC.

Footnotes
Reprint requests to Office of the Inspector General, US Department of Health and Human Services, 330 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20201 (Mr Kusserow).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Physicians Disciplined by a State Medical Board
Morrison and Wickersham
JAMA 1998;279:1889-1893.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Better-Quality Alternative: Single-Payer National Health System Reform
Schiff et al.
JAMA 1994;272:803-808.
ABSTRACT  

Medical Malpractice Experience of Physicians: Predictable or Haphazard?
Sloan et al.
JAMA 1989;262:3291-3297.
ABSTRACT  

Medical Malpractice and the Tort System
Jacobson
JAMA 1989;262:3320-3327.
ABSTRACT  

Report of the Special Task Force on Professional Liability and Insurance and the Advisory Panel on Professional Liability
JAMA 1987;257:810-812.
ABSTRACT  

State Medical Discipline: Defects and Hindrances
Breaden and Galusha
JAMA 1987;257:828-829.
ABSTRACT