Bullying Doctors May Be Held Accountable with New Practice Culture Behavioral Guidelines

Did you know that there are researchers who study medical intimidation?  Apparently, the data obtained from such studies is grist for the improvement mill for an increasing number of healthcare organizations.  Doctors and other medical providers with poor bedside manner will have to keep those behaviors in check as many organizations are now adopting behavioral “codes of conduct”.  It appears to be a well-deserved addition to the quality improvement of many provider organizations.

[T]he Joint Commission, a national hospital accrediting agency, warned Wednesday that there’s mounting evidence that such disruptive behaviors are tied to medical errors that can cause patient harm — and that hospitals across the country should no longer tolerate it.

Starting in January, the agency will require hospitals to establish codes of conduct that define inappropriate behaviors and create plans for dealing with them. Suggested actions include better systems to detect and deter unprofessional behavior; more civil responses to patients and families who witness bad acts; and overall training in “basic business etiquette,” including phone skills and people skills for all employees.

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