Journal article
Regulation in Need of Therapy? Analysis of Regulatory Decisions Relating to Impaired Doctors from 2010 to 2020
OM Bradfield, MJ Spittal, MM Bismark
Journal of Law and Medicine | THOMSON REUTERS AUSTRALIA LTD | Published : 2022
Abstract
Doctors' mental wellbeing is a critical public health issue. Rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use are higher than in the general population. Regulating unwell doctors who pose a public risk is challenging, yet there is little research into how medical regulators balance the need to protect the public from harm against the benefits of supporting and rehabilitating the unwell doctor. We analysed judgments from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom, Ontario, and Singapore between 2010 and 2020 relating to impaired doctors. We found similarities in how decision-makers conceptualise impairment, how they disentangle impairment from associated conduct or performance complaints,..
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Grants
Awarded by Australian Government through an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship
Awarded by Australian Government on a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant
Funding Acknowledgements
Owen's research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, a 2021 Avant Foundation Grant, and a 2020 Fulbright Future Scholarship. Matthew J Spittal: Professor, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health; Matthew's contribution was funded by the Australian Government through an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (Project No FT180100075). Marie M Bismark: Professor and Head, Law and Public Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. Marie's contribution was funded by the Australian Government on a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant (APP1195984). The views expressed herein are the those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the bodies funding this research.