How to Pull Your Doctor's Disciplinary History

How to Use the Internet to Pull Your Doctor’s Disciplinary History

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Shapiro Law Group

We recently wrote a blog suggesting that medical mistakes have become the third leading cause of death in the United States, coming only behind cancer and heart disease. Although other hospital staff members are sometimes responsible for medical mistakes, it cannot hurt to check your doctor’s disciplinary history before setting up an appointment.

Depending on the state, a doctor’s disciplinary action and settlement history can also be viewed. We can show you how easily this can be done online.

State Medical Board Information: Many state medical boards, including the Florida Board of Medicine, operate websites with data on physicians. Information can contain details on where physicians went to school, licenses they hold and if they have faced disciplinary action. To pull information on physicians, visit the Florida Board of Medicine’s website.

Patient Safety Organizations: In addition, some organizations keep databases of state medical board information. The Federation of State Medical Boards is one example. Another example is www.healthgrades.com, a website that allows patients to pull information about doctors and hospitals. Some patients may find this method easier than pulling information directly from state medical boards. Patients only need the name of their doctors to plug into the search engines found on these websites.

Some records may only be available going 15 years back. Records of settlements may only be visible in cases involving more than $100,000.

Can Researching Your Doctor’s Disciplinary History Improve Your Safety?

Last week, we wrote a blog discussing how a young woman received a severe brain injury from a botched breast augmentation surgery. The physician responsible had a disciplinary and legal history. Patients should have the tools to access information about doctors they are entrusting their lives to.

This blog is not meant to bash doctors, but to show prospective patients how to select doctors with a history of being in good standing with the Florida Board of Medicine.

The Tampa Bay medical malpractice attorneys at Shapiro Law Group can help patients and families hurt by medical wrongdoing.

Tags: Healthcare

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