Physician Licensing and Discipline: Lessons From Indiana

Abstract

Using physician licensing data from 1972–2015 obtained from Indiana, we examine the performance of the disciplinary process in enforcing minimum performance standards. Only 1.2 percent of the physicians in our dataset were disciplined. Drug diversion, substance abuse, and sexual misconduct account for 60 percent of all disciplinary actions. Male physicians are at higher risk for disciplinary action for sexual misconduct and drug diversion, but not for other types of misconduct. Graduates of U.S. and non‐U.S. medical schools have the same overall risk of disciplinary action—but for non‐U.S. educated physicians, this is the result of averaging a significantly lower risk of discipline for drug and alcohol abuse and drug diversion with a significantly higher risk of discipline for negligence and sexual misconduct. Physicians who attended medical school in the Caribbean have a significantly higher risk of discipline for negligence/incompetence, but not for other causes.