“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.”
— Glenn Close
MEDICAL REGULATION HAS NEVER FACED MORE CHALLENGING TIMES due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges include concern for physician mental health wellness, the opioid crisis, and rising concerns for healthcare disparities. Issues that medical regulators face are often complex and difficult to solve. How we face physician mental health issues, assess appropriate opioid prescribing, and develop a framework for dealing with complex medical regulatory issues is critical for state medical regulation.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw an alarming rise in physician burnout and mental health issues. There has been increasing national concern regarding the ability of physicians to seek mental health care without a potential negative impact on their state licensure application or renewal. Failure of physicians to seek mental health care can result in deteriorating health of the physician, dysfunctional health care delivery, and danger to public safety. In “Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure Adapts Attestation Model” (page 20), JW Ledbetter and colleagues discuss how the MSBML carefully evaluated their licensure application process regarding mental health disclosure to remove intrusive health scrutiny. This careful review assisted the Board in meeting its goal of allowing licensees to feel free to seek treatment without fear of licensing repercussions.
Dr. Matthew Starr and colleagues authored “American Board of Ophthalmology Certifying Examination Performance and Opioid Prescriptions Patterns” (page 12). This study evaluated opioid prescription patterns of ophthalmologists based on board performance or lack of board certification. Their interesting findings have potential implications for other specialties.
In the Commentary “Regulation of Wicked Problems: Opportunities, Responsibilities, the Threats” (page 6), Zubin Austin and colleagues focus on complex challenges, often difficult or impossible to resolve. Wicked problems do not refer to moral issues or good or evil connotations. These are common challenges faced by medical regulators. Often solutions to wicked problems, when implemented, can result in unintended consequences and further intractable problems. The theories and approach to wicked problems can be useful in framing difficult issues in healthcare regulation.
