Saver, R. S. (2024).
JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2443893.
Key Points
Question How frequently do medical boards discipline physicians for spreading medical misinformation relative to discipline for other professional misconduct?
Findings In this cross-sectional study of 3128 medical board disciplinary proceedings involving physicians, spreading misinformation to the community was the least common reason for medical board discipline (<1% of all identified offenses). Patient-directed misinformation and inappropriate advertising or patient solicitation were tied as the third least common reasons (<1%); misinformation conduct was exponentially less common than other reasons for discipline, such as physician negligence (29%).
Meaning Extremely low rates of disciplinary activity for misinformation conduct were observed in this study despite increased salience and medical board warnings since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic about the dangers of physicians spreading falsehoods; these findings suggest a serious disconnect between regulatory guidance and enforcement and call into question the suitability of licensure regulation for combatting physician-spread misinformation.
Here are some thoughts:
This cross-sectional study investigated the frequency of medical board disciplinary actions against physicians for spreading medical misinformation in the five most populous U.S. states from 2020-2023. The researchers found that such discipline was extremely rare compared to other offenses like negligence or improper prescribing. This low rate of discipline, despite warnings from medical boards and increased public awareness of the issue, highlights a significant disconnect between regulatory guidance and enforcement.
The study suggests that current medical board structures may be poorly suited to address the widespread harm caused by physician-spread misinformation, and proposes that a patient-centered approach may be insufficient to tackle public health issues. The study also notes several limitations including the confidential nature of some medical board actions.
