title: A survey of Oregon emergency physicians to assess mandatory reporting knowledge and reporting patterns regarding intoxicated drivers in the state of Oregon.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess emergency physician reporting patterns in Oregon before and after the passage of a mandatory intoxicated driving reporting law.
  
  
  METHODS
  A one-page survey was mailed to 504 emergency physicians in Oregon in April 2004. Data on reporting frequency were collected using a four-point ordinal scale regarding motor vehicle crash-involved drivers (MIDs) and intoxicated persons attempting to drive away from the emergency department (DAEDs). Paired observations were assessed for a stated increase in reporting activity following passage of the law using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Associations of postlaw reporting and demographic and knowledge factors were sought using Spearman rank correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 504 surveys mailed, 298 (59%) were adequate for analysis. Many respondents (57%) were already aware of the law. Most (92%) agreed that physicians should be mandated to report some crimes. MIDs were always reported by 18% of physicians before the law and by 47% afterward, whereas DAEDs were always reported by 56% of physicians before the law and by 69% afterward. Emergency medicine-trained physicians, higher emergency department census, and increased years of experience were associated with a significantly higher increase in reporting pattern after passage of the law for both MIDs and DAEDs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although 44% of responding emergency physicians in Oregon were unaware of a mandated reporting law for intoxicated drivers presenting to the ED, most physicians stated an increase in their reporting practice.
authors.affiliation: US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX 78234-6315, USA. john.mcmanus@amedd.army.mil
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Nathan D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Magaret
authors.forename: Jerris R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hedges
authors.forename: Nicolas B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Rayner
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rice
mesh_terms: D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D009922:Oregon; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*