April 2018

Better understand how to reach the public:

Institute methods to better understand public perception of state medical boards (focus groups, surveys, interviews).

Create a Consumer Advisory Board comprised of diverse community members—including consumers, patients, family members and advocacy organizations—to advise on how to increase state medical board visibility and accessibility.

Community outreach and awareness:

Require Doctors’ offices to clearly post information about the medical board addressing what the board does and how to contact them (sign, brochure, video).

Create a speakers bureau that includes public members that proactively contacts community, civic and consumer groups about giving presentations.

Allow the public to subscribe to newsletters, press releases, e-mail alerts about doctors of interest and other Medical Board materials/Assure there is content of interest to consumers.

Use social media to communicate with the public – particularly in terms of information about disciplined doctors.

Increase access to public meetings:

Provide webinar access to Medical Board meetings/Archive past meetings webinars.

Make a call-in line to Medical Board meetings available for public comment for those who cannot travel to the medical board meeting.

Increase access to Board information:

Provide an easily accessible online Annual Report that includes public information about Board operations and results including: the number of complaints received from the public about doctors, what types of complaints, the disposition of those complaints by complaint type (how many are dismissed, how many are investigated, how many are settled, how many result in some type of action, what type of action etc.)

Improve accessibility and content of Board websites including:

• Easily understandable terms (Find a Doctor)
• “Consumer” section that highlights relevant information (complaints, looking up a doctor)
• Physician profiles that have: Current and historic information on board disciplinary actions (in plain English and links to actual documents; actions in other states)
  • Complete malpractice information
  • Hospital privileging actions
  • Criminal actions
  • Federal actions

Created by the Medical Board Roundtable – a national coalition of patient and consumer advocates interested in increasing public awareness about state medical boards and making them more responsive to patients and the public. For more information, contact Carol Cronin, Informed Patient Institute, Annapolis, MD c.cronin@comcast.net, 410-268-0189.