Opinion
Focus on numbers is a misleading approach on doctor discipline
LETTER — Posted Aug. 20, 2007
Regarding "Public Citizen issues annual med board rankings" (Article, July 9): The more disciplinary actions that a state's medical board takes against physicians, the better job that board is doing of protecting the public.
What kind of logic is this?
This misdirected and dangerously misleading approach not only is wrong, but it unnecessarily spreads fear among members of the public who are already bombarded by negative comments about medicine.
Doctors practice in a fishbowl and bad doctors are quickly found out. A profession overregulated, and overcriticized, cannot long endure. The Public Citizen group would do better directing its efforts at promoting universal health care coverage.
Edward J. Volpintesta, MD, Bethel, Conn.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/08/20/edlt0820.htm.












