Help for impaired physicians.

A physician is considered to be impaired when personal problems (e.g., chemical dependence, emotional disorders, physical disability) or professional difficulties (e.g., malpractice litigation stress, incompetence) begin to interfere with the ability to function in the profession and in personal life. In this article, the nature of the impairment problem is briefly described and the issues of prevention, early recognition, effective and humane treatment, and the recovery process are addressed.