The Cost of Disruptive and Unprofessional Behaviors in Health Care

Abstract

In an era of decreased reimbursements and rising expenses, academic health care systems are seeking alternative sources of funding. We hypothesized that the costs associated with disruptive physician behavior represented a source of potential savings and hence a possible financial stream which could be redirected to support other academic activities. To test this hypothesis, we reviewed costs associated with disruptive behavior in clinical and education settings and estimated their savings in academic health care systems. In a 400 bed hospital, the combined costs for disruptive physician behaviors (due to staff turnover, medication errors and procedural errors) exceed $1 million. Reducing disruptive physician behavior in academic health care systems is a potential funding stream with the added benefits of improved patient safety, reduced medical errors and improved medical student/resident education.