Ethics Oversight in Psychiatry: Data from a Model of Organizational Monitoring.

Hallmarks of professions include self-regulation. The American Psychiatric Association fulfills this responsibility by delegating the handling of ethics complaints against members to each of 72 District Branches (DBs). The authors sought to explore the number and typology of ethics complaints received by member DBs, the handling of complaints, the relationship between the DB and state licensing authorities, the challenges and resources needed for conducting complaints, and the overall attitude of DBs regarding ethics review. This analysis presents the results of the survey and outlines how the process may be useful for professional medical organizations adhering to principles of transparency and empirically informed policy.