If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.
—Pearl S. Buck
AS WE SEEK SOLUTIONS TO THORNY CHALLENGES in medical regulation, we would be well-advised to heed the advice of author Pearl S. Buck — the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature — whose moving depictions of family life were rooted in deep human wisdom. Buck understood that fundamental truths may emerge, but often they must be teased out by closely examining the experiences of the past. In this issue of JMR, we offer content that is well aligned with Buck’s guidance, starting with a special section devoted to the topic of recidivism (“Addressing Recidivism: A Challenge for Medical Regulation,” page 6). In four articles, authors from state medical boards and organizations specializing in remedial education for physicians explore the many facets of recidivism, focusing on the use of accumulated data as a tool to prevent disciplined physicians from re-offending in the future. The articles offer valuable perspectives about the acquisition of data about recidivism, factors that must be taken into account as the data is analyzed and hurdles that can make it difficult to draw conclusions about recidivist behavior. None of the articles offers an infallible method to remediate or prevent future recidivism, but all add important insights, including solid advice for improving data collection and intriguing ideas for disciplinary and educational interventions that could preempt recidivist tendencies. Also in this issue, we present the second installment in our new series on diversity, equity and inclusion in medical regulation (“The Role of Regulatory Boards in Combating Racism and Promoting Diversity,” page 32). In an in-depth commentary, we learn about the historical under pinnings of systemic racism in the American health care system and eight fundamental questions that all state medical boards should ask as they strive to ensure a more equitable environment for the delivery of care.
