Poll: Test Physicians for Drug and Alcohol Use?
Hospitals should randomly test physicians for drug and alcohol use, according to a recent JAMA commentary. What do you think?
Hospitals should randomly test physicians for drug and alcohol use. That’s the position of a recent commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association written by two Johns Hopkins physicians and patient safety experts.
Physicians should also be tested right after an unexpected death or significant event, they argued. Major industries like airlines and railways do so, and it would improve patient safety.
“Physicians and employers may experience reduced absenteeism, unintentional adverse events, injuries, and turnover, and early identification of a debilitating problem,” wrote Julius Cuong Pham, MD, PhD, an emergency medicine physician at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Peter J. Pronovost, MD, PhD, director of the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.
The two recommended mandatory testing before a medical staff appointment at a hospital, random drug and alcohol testing, and routine testing for all physicians involved in a sentinel event leading to a patient death.
Do you agree?
Where Things Stand with the Radiologist Shortage
June 18th 2025A new report conveys the cumulative impact of ongoing challenges with radiologist residency positions, reimbursement, post-COVID-19 attrition rates and the aging of the population upon the persistent shortage of radiologists in the United States.
How to Successfully Launch a CCTA Program at Your Hospital or Practice
June 11th 2025Emphasizing increasing recognition of the capability of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for the evaluation of acute and stable chest pain, this author defuses common misperceptions and reviews key considerations for implementation of a CCTA program.
The Reading Room: Artificial Intelligence: What RSNA 2020 Offered, and What 2021 Could Bring
December 5th 2020Nina Kottler, M.D., chief medical officer of AI at Radiology Partners, discusses, during RSNA 2020, what new developments the annual meeting provided about these technologies, sessions to access, and what to expect in the coming year.
Mammography AI Platform for Five-Year Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Gets FDA De Novo Authorization
June 2nd 2025Through AI recognition of subtle patterns in breast tissue on screening mammograms, the Clairity Breast software reportedly provides validated risk scoring for predicting one’s five-year risk of breast cancer.
