Investing in Physicians Is Investing in Patients: Enhancing Patient Safety Through Physician Health and Well-Being Research.

Keeping medical practitioners healthy is an important consideration for workforce satisfaction and retention, as well as public safety. However, there is limited evidence demonstrating how to best care for this group. The absence of data is related to the lack of available funding in this area of research.

The clinical implications of legalizing marijuana: Are physician and non-physician providers prepared?

Introduction: Passage of voter-driven marijuana reform laws signals a shift in public attitudes for marijuana use. For providers, legalization may necessitate practice modifications, particularly regarding patient-provider conversations about use and risk. We examined healthcare providers' knowledge of marijuana laws and health implications, professional practice behaviors, and attitudes about training.

Comparing substance use monitoring and treatment variations among physician health programs.

There is growing evidence that physician health programs (PHPs) are an important component in physicians' recovery from substance disorders, although we do not know how variations in treatment and monitoring affect physician recovery. This study was designed to understand how programmatic differences impact clients' overall program completion. This study was part of a larger investigation, the Blueprint Project, which evaluated outcomes for clients enrolled in PHPs nationally.

Physician boundary violations in a physician's health program: a 19-year review.

Managing and treating physicians with professional boundary violations is of paramount importance with vast implications for public safety. Physician Health Programs (PHPs) evaluate and monitor many, if not most, physicians receiving care for these abuses. We conducted a chart review of 120 physicians monitored for boundary violations.

Self-prescribed and other informal care provided by physicians: scope, correlations and implications.

Background: While it is generally acknowledged that self-prescribing among physicians poses some risk, research finds such behaviour to be common and in certain cases accepted by the medical community. Largely absent from the literature is knowledge about other activities doctors perform for their own medical care or for the informal treatment of family and friends. This study examined the variety, frequency and association of behaviours doctors report providing informally.

Tobacco use by physicians in a physician health program, implications for treatment and monitoring.

The use of tobacco by physicians with substance abuse histories is drastically understudied. A chart review of 1319 physicians enrolled in a physician health program found tobacco use highest for those referred for substance abuse problems (58.1%).