title: Prognosis for the recovery of surgeons from chemical dependency: a 5-year outcome study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rates of relapse, monitoring contract completion, and return to medical practice may differ between surgeons and nonsurgeons being monitored for diagnosed substance use disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective 5-year longitudinal cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 16 state physician health programs in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine hundred four physicians who underwent treatment for a substance use disorder and were consecutively admitted to 1 of 16 state physician health programs between September 1, 1995, and September 1, 2001. The study analyzed a subset of data comparing 144 surgeons with 636 nonsurgeons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rates of continued drug and alcohol misuse (relapse), monitoring contract completion, and return to medical practice at 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Surgeons were significantly more likely than nonsurgeons to enroll in a physician health program because of alcohol-related problems (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.7; P = .001) and were less likely to enroll because of opioid use (odds ratio, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.8, P = .002). Surgeons were neither more nor less likely than nonsurgeons to have a positive drug test result, complete or fail to complete the monitoring contract, or extend the monitoring period beyond the original 5 years specified in their agreements. Fewer surgeons than nonsurgeons were licensed and practicing medicine at the conclusion of the monitoring period, although this difference was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgeons in this study had positive outcomes similar to those of nonsurgeons. However, further research is necessary to conclude whether surgeons are less likely than their nonsurgeon peers to successfully return to medical practice following chemical dependency treatment.
authors: Washington Physicians Health Program, 720 Olive Way, Ste 1010, Seattle, WA 98101, USA. abuhl@wphp.org
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Buhl
authors: Michael R
authors: MR
authors: Oreskovich
authors: Charles W
authors: CW
authors: Meredith
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Campbell
authors: Robert L
authors: RL
authors: Dupont
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010815:Physician Impairment; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013043:Specialties, Surgical; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology