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June 5, 1987, Vol 257, No. 21 >
ARTICLE | June 5, 1987

The Medical Association of Georgia's Impaired Physicians Program: Title and subTitle BreakReview of the First 1000 Physicians: Analysis of Specialty FREE

G. Douglas Talbott, MD; Karl V. Gallegos, MD; Philip O. Wilson, MD; Thomas L. Porter, PhD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to the Caduceus Foundation, 4015 S Cobb Dr, Suite 100, Smyrna, GA 30080 (Dr Talbott).


JAMA. 1987;257(21):2927-2930. doi:10.1001/jama.1987.03390210075028
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References

Risk factors for the disease of chemical dependence, or addiction to alcohol and/ or drugs, for physicians have not been clearly defined. Yet chemical dependence is believed to be a leading occupational hazard for physicians. This study compares the specialties of a population of physicians assessed for the presence of impairment (study group, N =1000) with the distribution of specialties for all US physicians. Only 21 of the total were found to be free of impairment from chemical dependence or psychiatric disease, while 920 physicians (92.0%) had a primary diagnosis of chemical dependence, and 59 (5.9%) had a major psychiatric illness. Anesthesia and family and general practice were found to be overrepresented in the population under study, as compared with all US physicians. There were significant differences between the study group and all US physicians with respect to age, sex, and practice activity status. The authors urge these apparent high-risk specialties, as well as the medical profession itself, to develop control or prevention strategies that will reduce risk for chemical dependence through education, early identification, intervention, and treatment of those individuals with the disease.

(JAMA 1987;257:2927-2930)

REFERENCES

1 +
Talbott GD:  Substance abuse and the professional provider: The need for new attitudes about addiction . Ala J Med Sci 1985;;21( (2) ):150-155.
2 +
Talbott GD, Cooney M: Today's Disease . Springfield, Ill, Charles C Thomas Publishers, 1982;.
3 +
Gitlow SE:  Alcoholism: A disease , in Bourne PG, Fox R (eds): Alcoholism: Progress in Research and Treatment , Orlando, Fla, Academic Press Inc, 1973;.
4 +
Jellinek EM: The Disease Concept of Alcoholism . Highland Park, NJ, Hellhouse Press, 1960;.
5 +
Vaillant GE: The Natural History of Alcoholism . Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press, 1983;.
6 +
American Medical Association Council on Mental Health:  The sick physician: Impairment by psychiatric disorders, including alcoholism and drug dependence . JAMA 1973;;233:684-687.
7 +
Robinson J: Annotated Bibliography on Physician Impairment and Well-Being . Chicago, American Medical Association, 1986;.
8 +
Bissel L, Jones RW:  The alcoholic physician: A survey . Am J Psychiatry 1976;;133:1142-1146.
9 +
Goby MJ, Bradley NJ, Bespalec DA:  Physicians treated for alcoholism: A follow-up study . Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1979;;3:121-124.
10 +
Johnson RP, Connelly JC:  Addicted physicians: A closer look . JAMA 1981;;245:253-257.
11 +
Shore JH:  The impaired physician: Four years after probation . JAMA 1982;;248:3127-3130.
12 +
Herrington RE, Benzer DG, Jacobsen GR, et al:  Treating substance abuse disorders among physicians . JAMA 1982;;247:2253-2257.
13 +
Gualtieri AC, Consentino JP, Becker JS:  The California experience with a diversion program for impaired physicians . JAMA 1983;;249:226-229.
14 +
Morse RM, Martin MA, Swenson WM, et al:  Prognosis of physicians treated for alcoholism and drug dependence . JAMA 1984;;251:743-746.
15 +
Martin CA:  An historical review of Georgia's Impaired Physicians Program . J Med Assoc Ga 1984;;73:745-748.
16 +
Roback G, Randolph L, Mead D, et al: Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S. Chicago, American Medical Association, 1984;.
17 +
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , ed 3. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1980;.
18 +
Gallegos KV, Norton MA, Talbott GD:  MAG's computerized staging of chemical dependence . J Med Assoc Ga 1985;;74:306-310.
19 +
Farley WJ, Talbott GD:  Anesthesiology and addiction . Anesth Analg 1983;;62:465-466.
20 +
Speigelman WG, Saunders L, Mazze RI:  Addiction and anesthesiology . Anesthesiology 1984;; 60:335-341.
21 +
Ward CF, Ward GC, Saidman LJ:  Drug abuse in anesthesia training programs: A survey: 1970 through 1980 . JAMA 1983;;250:922-925.
22 +
Gravenstrein JS, Kory WP, Marks RG:  Drug abuse by anesthesia personnel . Anesth Analg 1983;;62:467-472.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

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1 +
Talbott GD:  Substance abuse and the professional provider: The need for new attitudes about addiction . Ala J Med Sci 1985;;21( (2) ):150-155.
2 +
Talbott GD, Cooney M: Today's Disease . Springfield, Ill, Charles C Thomas Publishers, 1982;.
3 +
Gitlow SE:  Alcoholism: A disease , in Bourne PG, Fox R (eds): Alcoholism: Progress in Research and Treatment , Orlando, Fla, Academic Press Inc, 1973;.
4 +
Jellinek EM: The Disease Concept of Alcoholism . Highland Park, NJ, Hellhouse Press, 1960;.
5 +
Vaillant GE: The Natural History of Alcoholism . Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press, 1983;.
6 +
American Medical Association Council on Mental Health:  The sick physician: Impairment by psychiatric disorders, including alcoholism and drug dependence . JAMA 1973;;233:684-687.
7 +
Robinson J: Annotated Bibliography on Physician Impairment and Well-Being . Chicago, American Medical Association, 1986;.
8 +
Bissel L, Jones RW:  The alcoholic physician: A survey . Am J Psychiatry 1976;;133:1142-1146.
9 +
Goby MJ, Bradley NJ, Bespalec DA:  Physicians treated for alcoholism: A follow-up study . Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1979;;3:121-124.
10 +
Johnson RP, Connelly JC:  Addicted physicians: A closer look . JAMA 1981;;245:253-257.
11 +
Shore JH:  The impaired physician: Four years after probation . JAMA 1982;;248:3127-3130.
12 +
Herrington RE, Benzer DG, Jacobsen GR, et al:  Treating substance abuse disorders among physicians . JAMA 1982;;247:2253-2257.
13 +
Gualtieri AC, Consentino JP, Becker JS:  The California experience with a diversion program for impaired physicians . JAMA 1983;;249:226-229.
14 +
Morse RM, Martin MA, Swenson WM, et al:  Prognosis of physicians treated for alcoholism and drug dependence . JAMA 1984;;251:743-746.
15 +
Martin CA:  An historical review of Georgia's Impaired Physicians Program . J Med Assoc Ga 1984;;73:745-748.
16 +
Roback G, Randolph L, Mead D, et al: Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S. Chicago, American Medical Association, 1984;.
17 +
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , ed 3. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1980;.
18 +
Gallegos KV, Norton MA, Talbott GD:  MAG's computerized staging of chemical dependence . J Med Assoc Ga 1985;;74:306-310.
19 +
Farley WJ, Talbott GD:  Anesthesiology and addiction . Anesth Analg 1983;;62:465-466.
20 +
Speigelman WG, Saunders L, Mazze RI:  Addiction and anesthesiology . Anesthesiology 1984;; 60:335-341.
21 +
Ward CF, Ward GC, Saidman LJ:  Drug abuse in anesthesia training programs: A survey: 1970 through 1980 . JAMA 1983;;250:922-925.
22 +
Gravenstrein JS, Kory WP, Marks RG:  Drug abuse by anesthesia personnel . Anesth Analg 1983;;62:467-472.

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