From American Medical News (5/9/11): A long-running push for increased transparency in the medical profession has led medical boards nationwide to release more information about physicians' professional and disciplinary history online during the last 15 years.
Even so, exactly what is publicly available — both to consumers seeking information online and families inquiring about a specific physician or complaint — varies greatly. States are hearing from consumers that not enough information is available or easily accessible.
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* Topic: Liability
* Region: States
So at least five states have recently passed or are considering legislation that would create more transparency, particularly regarding physician disciplinary records and procedures. The measures would release more physician information, make that information easier for consumers to get, and provide quicker responses on requests to investigate physicians.
Most medical licensing boards require physicians to report information such as liability settlements and criminal convictions, but individual boards decide what is reported on their public websites, said Humayun J. Chaudhry, DO, president of the Federation of State Medical Boards.