Why Physicians Should Be Able To Seek Confidential Alcohol & Drug Treatment
Monday, March 31st 2008
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As I type, front page on CNN is a profile piece on a plastic surgeon and several of his patients who are upset he continued to operate while in an alcohol treatment program.
[Dr.] West is an alcoholic, according to a Medical Board of California decision, and a member of the state’s Physician Diversion Program.
The program keeps the doctors’ identities private, so it allowed him to continue to treat patients, even operate on them, while he was secretly getting treatment for his addiction.
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A study by the Federation of State Physician Health Programs found about one percent of all physicians practicing in the United States are in confidential treatment. That’s about 8,000 doctors whose patients may have no idea they are addicts.
A physician doesn’t have to disclose his drug or alcohol troubles and gets to keep practicing on unaware patients. A little shocking at first light. Let me tell you why it isn’t and why I think these confidential treatment programs are extremely important.
The most important point to make, and the one that the CNN story blindly misses, is that in most states, certainly in Texas, these are programs for physicians who voluntary come forward.
A Martini And A #11 Scalpel
These are not programs for physicians who have been caught practicing under the influence, who have made mistakes because they’ve been inebriated. The way I understand it, these are physicians who sought help of their own volition. Physicians without documented professional troubles secondary to substance abuse.
That is an incredibly important point. It is highlighted in this quote from the CMA president,
[T]he California Medical Association, a physicians advocacy group, is fighting to keep the program running, and to keep the names of doctors enrolled confidential.
The association’s president, Joe Dunn, told CNN, “We believe very strongly this is the absolute best way to ensure patient safety. We need to get physicians out of the shadows.”
Dunn believes if the program is shut down in July, doctors will continue to feed their addiction privately and not get help. He argues, “Without a diversion program, no one knows. Patients don’t know. Health professionals who could help don’t know.”
It absolutely positively is the difference between having more physicians out there who are actively abusing substances with patients none the wiser and having physicians out there who are getting treatment for abusing substances with patients none the wiser. I don’t think, when framed appropriately like such, that that is really any choice at all.
These are important programs.
I am in the diversion program, and I have been in practice for 15 years. I got a DUI, and came forward, and went into a rehab facility on recommendation of a psychiatrist. After being through it, and now 3 years out, I have been told by a few facilitators that I am not an alcoholic. However, I don’t drink anymore, and maybe I would have practiced drunk at some point. The condemnation and judgment of students in medical school of physicians in diversion programs is really appalling. Honestly, none of you students know what the real world is like. Without the diversion program, physicians would hide their problems and not get help, and there would be more malpractice and harm to patients. It’s sad to see physicians stigmatize their own, and it simply illustrates ignorance and immaturity. Good for you for understanding this. Good luck in your career.
Great article; I’m glad you posted on this topic. I was also appalled at the article on CNN. It sold itself to readers as a danger to look out for. If I recall correctly, it mentioned that people had surgical complications, and later found out that their doctor was being treated for an addiction. Such reporting implied that the addiction caused the complication, though there was no evidence that the two were related. It was a disgusting hack job of reporting that increased CNN’s web traffic at the expense of doctor-patient trust as well as these helpful addiction programs. CNN is basically saying “Let’s ax this program so that your physician can treat you while intoxicated and not seeking treatment, instead of while recovering.” Unfortunately you only realize that if you read between the lines, which most people who read the article probably did not do. (Instead, they probably called their lawyer). So, thanks for commenting on it. I’ll leave you with this question: Would you rather be operated on by a surgeon who is a recovering alcoholic, sober for 2 months and in the aforementioned program, or a surgeon who is a chainsmoker who is seriously jonesing for a smoke? Who is more likely to cause a complication?
Couldn’t agree more guys. Thanks for commenting.
This is a comprehensive addiction portal focusing on topics of alcohol and drug abuse. http://www.alcoholaddiction.org