Article Text
Abstract
Introduction Disciplinary procedures can have a negative impact on the professional functioning of medical doctors. In this questionnaire study, doctors’ experience with open culture and support during a disciplinary procedure is studied to determine whether open culture and support are associated with perceived changes in the professional practice of doctors.
Methods All doctors who received a warning or a reprimand from the Dutch Medical Disciplinary Board between July 2012 and August 2016 were invited to fill in a 60-item questionnaire concerning open culture, perceived support during the disciplinary procedure and the impact of the procedure on professional functioning as reported by doctors themselves. The response rate was 43% (n=294).
Results A majority of doctors perceive their work environment as a safe environment in which to talk about and report incidents (71.2% agreed). Respondents felt supported by a lawyer or legal representative and colleagues (92.8% and 89.2%, respectively). The disciplinary procedure had effects on professional practice. Legal support and support from a professional confidant and a professional association were associated with fewer perceived changes to professional practice.
Conclusion Our study shows that doctors who had been disciplined perceive their working environment as open. Doctors felt supported by lawyers and/or legal representatives and colleagues. Legal support was associated with less of a perceived impact on doctors’ professional practice.
- health & safety
- quality in health care
- law (see medical law)
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Footnotes
Contributors BSL, RJRB, AJEdV and RDF participated in the design of the principal study. RJRB analysed the data. BSL, RJRB, AJEdV and RDF interpreted the analyses. BSL and RJRB drafted the manuscript. All authors critically revised and approved the final manuscript. All authors agreed to be personally accountable for the author’s own contributions and for ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even ones in which the author was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated, resolved and documented in the literature.
Funding This study was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent for publication Not required.
Ethics approval This study was based on questionnaires completed by doctors; no patients were involved. As all the research participants were competent individuals and no participants were subjected to any interventions or actions, no ethical approval was needed under Dutch law on medical research (Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act, www.ccmo.nl). Participation in the study was voluntary. The questionnaire data were stored and analysed anonymously, in accordance with the Dutch Personal Data Protection Act (www.privacy.nl/uploads/guide_for_controller_ministry_justice.pdf).
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Data availability statement Data are available upon reasonable request. Extra data are available by emailing Berber Laarman, b.s.laarman@vu.nl.