ND, AK, KY discipline the most doctors
ND, AK, KY discipline the most doctors
According to a report recently released by the Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, North Dakota, Alaska, and Kentucky have the best record for disciplinary action (which includes revocations, surrenders, suspensions, and probation/restrictions) against physicians. The report, Ranking of State Medical Board Disciplinary Actions in 2000, examined statistics from the Federation of State Medical Boards on the number of disciplinary actions taken in 2000 against doctors.
The study found that while nationally there were 2,746 serious disciplinary actions taken by state medical boards in 2000 (up slightly from the 2,696 serious actions taken in 1999), there were more physicians practicing in 2000, and the rate, per 1,000 physicians, was essentially the same in the two years: 3.5 serious actions per 1,000 physicians in 1999 and 3.49 in 2000. The top 10 states, or those with the highest rate of serious disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians are:
- North Dakota (12.43 per 1,000 physicians);
- Alaska (11.47);
- Kentucky (8.51);
- Wyoming (8.10);
- Oklahoma (6.68);
- Utah (6.27);
- Arizona (6.18);
- Ohio (5.89);
- Georgia (5.35);
- New York (5.08).
Four of these states (Alaska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Ohio) also were in the top 10 in 1998 and 1999, and one state, Alaska, has been in the top 10 for 10 straight years. Oklahoma has been in the top 10 states for nine of the last 10 years, while Wyoming has been in the top 10 for eight of the last 10 years, and Ohio has been in the top 10 for six of the last 10 years.
The bottom 15 states, those with the lowest serious disciplinary rates in 2000, were, starting with the lowest:
- Idaho (0.85 per 1,000 physicians);
- South Carolina (1.24);
- Hawaii (1.33);
- Delaware (1.39);
- Minnesota (1.53);
- Maine (1.58);
- Illinois (1.67);
- Washington (1.78);
- Montana (1.91);
- New Mexico (2.13);
- Maryland (2.21);
- Nebraska (2.39);
- Texas (2.42);
- Kansas (2.53);
- West Virginia (2.54).
Of the 15 states with the worst serious disciplinary records, eight of the states, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, Washington, Minnesota, Kansas, Hawaii, and Delaware were also in the bottom 15 states in 1999 and 1998.
The study’s results raised concerns that patients in the bottom 15 states are receiving sub-quality care from doctors who might otherwise be barred in another state but are allowed to practice there. Factors for poor disciplinary records include: inadequate funding/staffing for the state medical boards; lack of proactive investigations; failure to utilize Medicare, Medicaid and other sources for information; dependence on state medical societies; and poor statutory framework for disciplining doctors. For more information on the report, go to www.citizen.org.
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