We’ve all heard about the blue wall of silence that describes a belief that law enforcement personnel will refrain from reporting misconduct of their colleagues to the proper authorities. Physicians had similarly been accused of hiding behind a white coat wall of silence , as I have on this blog. This describes the belief that physicians do not reliably turn in colleagues who are incompetent and impaired. Personally, I have never knowingly participated in the care of a patient with an impaired colleague. Competency is a murkier issue and is, of course, variable in the medical profession. In addition, it’s not easy to define or to measure. It is this very fact that has made me so hostile to the Pay-for-Performance schemes that claims to be a quality metric, but is truly used as a cost cutting tool. 'I Know Nothing' I am aware of physicians in my community who do not have a strong reputation of medical skill. Yet, many of these physicians are beloved by their
MD Whistleblower presents vignettes and commentaries on the medical profession. We peek 'behind the medical curtain' and deliver candor and controversy in every post.