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1. Who is
named in the book?
This edition details disciplinary actions taken against allopathic doctors (MDs) and
Doctors of Osteopathy (DOs) from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Food
and Drug Administration. The extent of information each medical board provides regarding
disciplinary actions varies by state; some boards enclose a detailed synopsis of the case
history and findings, whereas others simply supply the physician's name and resulting
action within a quarterly newsletter. A description of the information we received from
each state is included on each state page.
2. Why does Public Citizen have access to
this information when it is so difficult to obtain?
In the fall of 1989, using a list published by the Federation of State Medical Boards,
Public Citizen contacted all the medical boards from the 50 states and the District of
Columbia and requested the name of every physician the boards had disciplined since the
beginning of 1985. We also asked at that time to be placed on the boards' mailing lists to
receive notification of future disciplinary orders. Since that initial request, Public
Citizen has periodically contacted these boards to obtain additional information on
disciplinary actions. Most recently, we sent a letter to each state in March 2000
requesting updated information for this edition of Questionable Doctors.
3. Can a consumer recommend a name to add?
No. The data comes DIRECTLY FROM THE STATE OR FEDERAL LICENSING AGENT.
4. Why don't we put the doctors' names on
the website?
Web sites with such information need to be frequently updated and we cannot do this
because of limited staff and resources available to continually monitor the information
that we receive from the 51 MD and 14 DO licensing boards and the federal government. This
website does provide direct links to the web sites of those boards that have information
available on the internet.
5. Does the book include dentists or
chiropractors?
No. Because we did not consistently receive information on such health care providers
from all medical boards, we decided to eliminate these entries on such professionals from
our database.
6. How do I pick a good doctor?
- Call the medical board in the state where the doctor practices or used to practice. The
board can frequently provide information on the physician's educational and specialty
background, and whether the doctor has been disciplined or formally charged with
misconduct. (Contact information for each state board is listed at the end of each state's
introductory section.)
- Check to see if your local consumer group has published a guide to local doctors.
- Look your doctor up in the American Medical Association's American Medical Directory or
the Directory of Medical Specialists, which can be found in all medical libraries and many
large public libraries. These directories list the physician's educational background and
whether or not he or she is board-certified in a specialty. You should not select a
self-designated specialist who has not been trained in the specialty field.
- Ask the doctor for the names of hospitals where he or she has admitting privileges. Your
local university teaching hospital will probably be the most selective about the
physicians it admits to its staff. Also, should you need to be hospitalized, you will want
a doctor who can admit you to the best hospital.
7. My doctor is listed in Questionable
Doctors. What do I do now?
Check which state(s) or federal agency has disciplined him or her.
- Request a copy of the doctor's disciplinary file from the state or federal agency. State
agency addresses are listed in the "Addresses" section of each state section.
You can also contact Federal government agencies.
- Read the file before making a decision about whether to switch doctors. Some of the
information contained in our report is sketchy and may not include a full explanation of
the reason for the disciplinary action because states may not have sent these details to
us. Some of the actions (a very small fraction) taken involve offenses that were
administrative in nature and do not necessarily reflect on the physician's ability to
practice.
Ask your doctor why he or she was disciplined. If your doctor can
convince you that any problem that resulted in the disciplinary action has been resolved
or is irrelevant to your future care, fine. Otherwise, you should consider switching.
8. How can I file a complaint about a
doctor?
Some examples of reportable actions are:
- if a doctor over-charged you or charged for treatment that was not delivered;
- if a physician failed to order or properly administer appropriate tests or treatment;
- if you suspect that a doctor may be abusing drugs or alcohol;
- if a physician inappropriately touched you in a sexual manner or conducted a sexual
relationship with you while you were a patient;
- if you suspect a physician is unable to function mentally or physically.
- Find out what degree your doctor has, whether a medical doctor (M.D.), osteopathic
physician (D.O.), chiropractor (D.C.), podiatrist (D.P.M.), or dentist (D.D.S. or D.M.D.).
Different state agencies often regulate these different professionals.
- File your complaint with the state medical disciplinary agency. This agency is the only
one that can remove dangerous or incompetent doctors from practice, impose limitations on
a physician's license to practice, and truly protect other patients from being harmed.
Your complaint could lead to the suspension or revocation of a doctor's license directly,
or it could aid the medical board in detecting a pattern of poor medical care.
- File the complaint in the state where the doctor is licensed--i.e., where his or her
office is located. Turn to that state's section. Find the "Address" heading at
the bottom of the state page. Look for the address of the agency that regulates that type
of doctor.
- If your care was within a hospital, you should also file a complaint with the hospital's
peer review committee, which has the power to revoke or limit a doctor's privileges to
practice there.
- You may also want to file a complaint with Medicare (See Addresses).
- Call the agency to inquire about how to file a formal complaint. Some agencies have
toll-free hotlines for complaints. Others require complaints to be filed on a specific
form.
- Ask whether your complaint will remain confidential. State laws vary. If the agency
intends to reveal your name to your doctor, you may want to consider switching to another
physician before pursuing any action.
- File a written complaint containing as much information as possible. Make sure to
include the doctor's full name, correctly spelled, office address, and the exact date when
the conduct you are complaining of occurred. The state may also ask you to release your
medical records for review.
- Ask the agency to notify you of the outcome of your complaint.
9. If the information is public knowledge,
why are we charging for our book?
We are a non-profit membership organization relying on the sale of our publications to
enable us to continue our work. We provide most of our publications free on our web site.
For those major books that we do sell, we are committed to providing the information at a
reasonable cost.
10. How can I order the book?
You can purchase the book from Public Citizen:
You can print out a form and order your book by
- fax (with a major credit card) to (202) 588-7798
- mail (with a major credit card or check) to 1600 20th Street N.W., Washington, DC
20009-1001
- calling toll free (877) 747-1616 to purchase with a major credit card
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