Physician views regarding substance use-related participation in a state physician health program.
Physician Health Programs (PHPs) safeguard the public by monitoring impaired physicians, but participation is not always voluntary, and many physicians resist referral. In this study, 80 physicians (85.1% male) who were referred to a state PHP for substance use-related problems completed an anonymous online survey regarding their experiences in the program. Results indicated that 78.1% of program completers had a 5-year contract, with 100% including random drug screening. In addition, 84.8% continued participation in 12-step fellowships after the required monitoring period. Participants were generally satisfied with the program, and 92.5% indicated that they would recommend it to others. They provided suggestions to increase the acceptability and efficacy of PHPs for physicians.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0183, USA. lmerlo@ufl.edu
Lisa J
LJ
Merlo
William M
WM
Greene
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010815:Physician Impairment / Q000523:psychology*; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000379:methods*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy