The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the consumer group Public Citizen released a report about states disciplining doctors who violate state standards. Although Florida had previously performed at or above average compared to other states, the 2008 report indicated that Florida ranked number 44, putting the state among the ten worst for disciplining doctors.
The report examined data collected from the Federation of State Medical Boards and defined serious disciplinary actions as medical license revocations, surrenders, suspensions, probations, or restrictions. Doctors might receive these actions as the result of criminal activity, severe medical negligence, or patient abuse.
Florida’s medical board includes 12 doctors and three consumer members. Public Citizen’s acting president said the drop in rankings could potentially be attributed to a reduced budget for investigating complaints or the board’s proximity to the medical profession.
Report Finds That State Medical Boards in 2008 Disciplined Fewer Physicians Than in 2004, Kaiser Network, April 21, 2009
Florida lenient in disciplining doctors, South Florida Sun Sentinel, April 20, 2009
Public Citizen Report
Public Citizen’s Health Research Group Ranking of the Rate of State Medical Boards’ Serious Disciplinary Actions, 2006-2008 (HRG Publication #1868)
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