1/13 “Since your last renewal, have you been advised by your treating physician that you have a mental, physical, or emotional condition, which, if untreated, would be likely to impair your ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety?”
That is the MN Board of Medical Practice license application question, and it needs to be changed.
The question is:
•Deterrent to MD and trainees to seek help
•Is convoluted
•Encourages untruthful answers
The question is:
•Deterrent to MD and trainees to seek help
•Is convoluted
•Encourages untruthful answers
2/13 Physicians working on frontlines of COVID are experiencing high rates of depression, anxiety, and distress bit.ly/3bu5zSg
3/13 US population (Docs included) 1/3rd anxiety or depression, 15% increased substance use, 12% suicidal ideation, and 43% have at least one of these symptoms bit.ly/3kd0IZy
4/13 In 2016 nearly 2/3 state medical boards asked inappropriate question about MD mental health bit.ly/3bxRIKv 
5/13 In national study we found physicians who worked in states in which medical license application question asked broadly about mental health had 21% increased odds of reluctance to seek help for a mental health concern.
6/13 Many states do not ask about mental health conditions
7/13 Or only ask about current impairment
8/13 There is NO evidence that care is worse in these states, or that there are more impaired physicians.
9/13 NAM consensus study recommendation bit.ly/3pIjx89
Recommendation 5A. State licensing boards, ...should either not ask about clinicians’ personal health information or else inquire only about clinicians’ current impairments due to any health condition..
Recommendation 5A. State licensing boards, ...should either not ask about clinicians’ personal health information or else inquire only about clinicians’ current impairments due to any health condition..
11/13 Galvanized by a physician colleague’s suicide, physicians took action and New Mexico changed it’s question pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32203976/ @EileenBarrettNM Kudos to the team!
12/13 Good questions
•Washington, Wisconsin, and New Jersey: Do you have a medical condition which in any way impairs or limits your ability to practice your profession with reasonable skill and safety?
•Washington, Wisconsin, and New Jersey: Do you have a medical condition which in any way impairs or limits your ability to practice your profession with reasonable skill and safety?
more good questions
•Nevada: Do you currently have a medical condition which in any way impairs or limits your ability to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety?
•Nevada: Do you currently have a medical condition which in any way impairs or limits your ability to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety?
13/13 Advocate to have the question in MN and elsewhere changed to not ask or only ask about current impairment
“Do you currently have any condition for which you are not being appropriately treated that impairs your judgment or that would otherwise adversely affect your ability to practice medicine in a competent, ethical and professional manner? (Yes/No)”
See our presentation to MN Board Med Practice Policy & Planning Committee and letters of support: bit.ly/2OW9iAa
next meeting bit.ly/3uplOIF
next meeting bit.ly/3uplOIF
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