Development of a professionalism committee approach to address unprofessional medical staff behavior at an academic medical center.

BACKGROUND

The Joint Commission Leadership standard on the need to create and maintain a culture of safety and quality and to develop a code of conduct was based on the rationale that unprofessional behavior undermines a culture of safety and can thereby be harmful to patient care. Few reports have described effective and successful approaches to defining and managing unprofessional behavior. The Professionalism Committee (PC)-based approach at the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) may serve as a model for other hospitals and health systems.

METHODS

Each of the three large teaching hospitals within UPHS has a PC that reports to its respective Medical Executive Committee. The PCs serve as a resource for department chairs and hospital administrators to address unprofessional behavior among faculty. Key features of the PC include the PC chair as the first point of contact and the integration of psychiatry into the model by virtue of the Professionalism Committee chair's training and expertise in psychiatry.

RESULTS

In the 2009 calendar year, the PC chair received contacts concerning behavior of only 2 physicians, which increased to 42 physicians in 2011 and 39 in 2012. Contacts involved referrals, management consults, interview screening, and the need for general advice. Of 79 resolved cases, 30 involved interpersonal issues, and 2 were associated with poor clinical outcomes.

CONCLUSION

One key feature of the UPHS approach is early identification of the role of behavioral health issues in unprofessional behavior (as opposed to physical, cognitive, or systems issues) by virtue of the PC chair's professional training and expertise. Although aspects of the UPHS experience may not be generalizable, the PC structure and approach are replicable.