“House” – the TV series following a brilliant, but curmudgeonly and troubled doctor – is of course a Hollywood production, but this fiction may be based in fact. At least one-third of all physicians will experience a time during which they have a physical, mental or behavioral condition that impairs their ability to practice medicine safely, according to The Annals of Internal Medicine.
Historically, not much was done to handle hothead physicians like House, but in 2009, the Joint Commission issued standards requiring accredited organizations to have codes and processes in place to address disruptive physician issues. Still, many health care organizations are straining to find effective ways to intervene, provide treatment and identify ways to mitigate issues that can cause physician stress.
