Choosing the right doctor is a crucial decision for your health and well-being. Patients often rely on recommendations from trusted sources like family and friends, consider location convenience, or check if a doctor is within their insurance network. While these factors are important, there’s another essential aspect to consider during your doctor search: whether a doctor has faced disciplinary actions from a medical board.
Doctors can be subject to disciplinary measures for various reasons, including criminal convictions, instances of medical negligence, or improper prescription of controlled substances. It’s important to be aware that even with a history of disciplinary actions, many doctors continue to practice medicine, sometimes even relocating to different states.
While hospitals have access to a federal database that tracks doctors’ disciplinary records across all states, this resource isn’t available to the public. For individuals seeking information about a doctor’s background, the most effective starting point is your state medical board’s license lookup page. It’s important to note that the process for looking up doctors and accessing disciplinary records varies from state to state. Some states offer comprehensive disciplinary histories online, including legal documents detailing violations and subsequent board actions. In other cases, accessing this information may involve a fee or require submitting a public records request.
Beyond state medical boards, you can also utilize resources like the Federation of State Medical Boards’ DocInfo to search for disciplinary history information on doctors nationwide. Additionally, Administrators In Medicine’s DocFinder provides nondisciplinary license information, although participation in DocFinder is currently limited to 17 states.
Understanding how to access and interpret doctor disciplinary records empowers patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare. By utilizing the resources available, you can take an active role in ensuring you are choosing a doctor with a clean and trustworthy professional history.
