REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PHYSICIAN HEALTH AND REHABILITATION
CM-PHR Report 2-A-07
Subject: Drug Screen Program; Treatment Facilities; Medical Student and Resident Activities
Presented by: John S. Jackson, MD, Chair
Drug Screen Program
The TMA Drug Screen Program was established in September 1996 to provide a statewide, random method for drug screening of physicians in agreement with county medical society PHR committees, district coordinators, and hospital-based peer assistance committees. Seven levels of participation are available to physicians, ranging from 4 to 96 screens per year. There are currently 81 participants in the program, and another 203 have either completed or no longer participate in the program.
To increase efficiency and credibility of the program, governing policies were amended to (a) define the response time to reply upon receipt of a valid request for information, (b) establish a fee structure for requests beyond the regular dissemination of results for participants, (c) delineate responsibilities of former participants who initiate requests for drug test results or letters documenting compliance, or who wish to reenroll in the program, and (d) document action taken by monitors in response to positive urine drug test results. As part of best practices, the committee will recommend to monitors that Ethyl Glucuronide testing be added to the panel for all participants. To strengthen the committee's ability to ensure that appropriate test panels are selected for all participants, questions about drugs abused were added on the enrollment form to be reviewed during the enrollment process.
Treatment Facilities
The committee completed review of the treatment facilities surveyed in December 2006 to ascertain if they meet committee-established criteria. A list of facilities meeting the criteria will be distributed to committee members, district coordinators, and chairs of county medical society PHR committees. The list will be provided to physicians and family members seeking evaluation and/or treatment. The treatment facility packet also includes resources for physicians regarding behavioral health problems, disruptive behavior, maintaining professional boundaries, stress management, sexual misconduct, and physical disabilities.
Medical Student and Resident Physician Activities
The committee offers three courses to medical students as part of the Brown Bag Lunch Series. An updated "Medical Student Stress and Burnout" course was approved at the February 2 meeting.
The committee offers publications yearly to medical students and resident physicians through medical schools and residency training program coordinators. This year, "Substance Abuse Among Physicians: Early Symptoms/Future Consequences" will be offered to both groups. In addition, the "Medical Student Stress and Burnout" brochure will be offered to medical schools for distribution to students, and "Do You Know a Resident Who Needs our Help?" will be offered to residency training program coordinators for distribution to resident physicians. A fee will be charged to offset expenses.
PHR library resources were expanded to include the LIFE Curriculum for Graduate Medical Education Programs sponsored by Duke University School of Medicine, a series of three DVDs designed to help GME programs educate residents and faculty to prevent, identify, and manage resident fatigue and impairment. Availability of the DVD series will be provided in the annual letter to residency training program coordinators and posted on the PHR section of the TMA Web site.
TMA House of Delegates: TexMed 2007