The researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of physician reports to the National Practitioner Data Bank from 2003 to 2013. There were 1,039 physicians with one or more sexual-misconduct-related report. Here are six key notes from the report:
1. Three-quarters of the physicians with sexual misconduct reports had only licensure reports.
2. Almost all—90 percent—were 40 years old or older.
3. Around 87 percent of the victims in malpractice-payment reports were female. Emotional injury was the predominant injury type.
4. There was a higher percentage of serious licensure actions — 89 percent — in sexual misconduct-related reports than other offenses.
5. There was a higher clinical privileges revocation — 68 percent — in sexual misconduct reports than in other offenses.
6. Medical boards didn’t discipline 70 percent of the physicians with a clinical-privileges or malpractice-payment report due to sexual misconduct.
“It is concerning that a majority of the physician with clinical-privileges action or malpractice-payment report due to sexual misconduct were not disciplined by medical boards for this unethical behavior,” concluded the study authors.
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