| In a State Capitol ceremony, Governor
M. Jodi Rell signed into law Public Act 08-109, An
Act Extending the State Physician Profile to Certain Other
Health Care Providers.
The law requires chiropractors and other medical professionals
to comply with the State Physician Profiling system.
“Consumers often know more about the waitress
at their local diner than they do about their doctor
or chiropractor,” Governor Rell said. “With
little information available about a medical professional’s
education, skill or professional history, choices are
often made based on location, scheduling availability
and insurance coverage. A consumer may not learn about
a doctor’s past history of malpractice claims
or professional discipline until it is too late. This
law will protect patients.”
“By requiring chiropractors and other medical
professionals to comply with the State Physician Profiling
system, we are helping patients make more informed decisions
when seeking specialized care,” said state Senator
Leonard Fasano (R-34). “Through their hard work,
Janet Levy, Governor Rell and other proponents of this
law have improved public health by bringing greater
transparency to one of the most important consumer choices
we make – choosing a qualified health care provider.”
Several years ago, the General Assembly took an important
step to provide the public with greater access to information
regarding doctors’ professional histories by creating
a state physician profiling system. The profile requires
certain licensed health care providers to provide the
Department of Public Health with a broad range of information,
including:
1. Professional education, licensing and certifications
2. Disciplinary actions taken by any state agency, professional
licensing or disciplinary board in Connecticut or any
other jurisdiction
3. Professional malpractice judgments, arbitration awards
or settlements
4. Felony criminal convictions
The Department of Public Health makes this information
available to the public and posts it on their Web site.
The physician profile allows the public to better understand
patient safety and quality issues and make more informed
choices regarding their health care providers.
The original profiling system did not cover all health
care providers, however. Certain providers who engage
in direct patient care, such as chiropractors, were
left out. After hearing from constituents who had suffered
serious complications, including stroke, after being
treated by chiropractors, Senator Fasano led the charge
to expand the physician profile to include chiropractors
and other medical professionals.
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