As a physician, you want to protect your license at all costs. Sometimes, people make complaints that are unreasonable or unfair, but it is still necessary to defend against them.
One of the greatest errors you can make is ignoring a licensing board complaint and thinking that it won’t have bearing on your career. Remember that the licensing board can take action against you if it feels that the complaints are legitimate.
Some types of disciplinary action that could be taken might include:
- A formal reprimand
- Probation
- Requirements to take further medical education
- Restrictions on your practice
- The suspension or revocation of your license
It doesn’t matter what kind of complaint is made: If a complaint is made against you, you need to defend against it.
Why are patient complaints becoming more common?
Usually, there are now requirements to post patients’ rights in your office or, if you work for someone else, around the facility. Since that’s the case, it is much easier for patients to find the information they need to make a complaint.
What’s frustrating about this, though, is that it’s not just patients who can make complaints. Their family members, friends, or others may make complaints, too. Other employees in your place of work, as well as anyone else who interacts with you, could make a complaint, too.
Problematically, patient complaints don’t have to be legitimate to be filed, and they’ll all be investigated.
What do you need to do if someone makes a complaint against you?
If you have a complaint made against you, it’s important that you do not ignore it. Look at the notice and consider learning more about your legal options before you respond to it. You will want to gather any relevant information you can, so you can form an appropriate response to the allegations.
You deserve the opportunity to defend yourself, your reputation and your career. You cannot wait too long to respond, because you may lose the right to do so. In a worst-case scenario, your reputation could be badly harmed and you could end up facing sanctions from the board.