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THURSDAY, June 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physician misconduct is being underreported and most Americans do not know where to file a complaint, according to a report published by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).<\/p>\n
Adults aged 18 years and older were surveyed to examine the prevalence of physician misconduct and public awareness of the work of state medical boards.<\/p>\n
According to the report, 27 percent of respondents reported knowing how to find out if a physician has ever received a disciplinary action against their license; younger adults were less likely to know how to find this information. Fifty-one percent reported not knowing that state medical boards are responsible for the licensing and regulating of physicians. Overall, 69 percent of respondents did not know that a state medical board is the best resource to contact in case of a complaint about a physician’s competence or conduct; older adults were more likely to know this information. Eighteen percent of Americans (409 respondents) had experienced an interaction with a physician they believed was acting unethically or unprofessionally or was providing substandard care; only one-third (128 respondents) reported the interaction or filed a complaint against the physician.<\/p>\n
“The FSMB believes it is essential to create a safe environment for reporting, so patients feel comfortable coming forward to boards, while also empowering every member of a health care team to exercise their duty to report misconduct as well,” Humayun Chaudhry, D.O., president and chief executive officer of the FSMB, said in a statement.<\/p>\n