Group medical practice has grown globally, necessitating evaluation methods to enhance patient care and physician well-being. The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) launched a pilot project, the Group Practice Review (GPR), to assess family medicine and general practice (FM/GP) clinic performance, focusing on groups or clinics rather than at the individual level.

Eight volunteer clinics with a total of 65 FM/GPs in Alberta, Canada participated in the GPR pilot. Compliance with CPSA's Standards of Practice (SOP), chart scores, complaints, and risky prescribing were evaluated. SOP compliance was assessed through office observation and policy reviews. Prescription flags identified the number of patients on high doses of opioids and benzodiazepines.

None of the clinics met all CPSA SOP. On average, 91.7% of SOPs were met. Common deficiencies included patient recordkeeping and drug storage standards. Post-visit feedback suggested improvements in process definitions and access to SOP compliance reports before facilitation visits. The average cost per physician to conduct the GPR as a part of the pilot project was $300 Canadian dollars ($225 USD).

The GPR pilot demonstrated a feasible, cost-effective approach for evaluating FM/GPs in group settings, fostering proactive environments and promoting timely corrective actions.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) manages complaints made about registered health practitioners across Australia. The negative effects that complaint processes can have on the mental health of health practitioners are well documented.

To identify factors that help make the complaints process positive and worthwhile for people who made a complaint, practitioners who are the subject of a complaint, and staff who manage complaints processes.

Semi-structured interviews of 26 participants (eight complainants, ten practitioners who were the subject of a complaint, and eight complaints management staff) were conducted. Participants were selected using criterion-based purposive sampling and linked with positive responses from Ahpra's internal surveys. Key themes were identified via thematic analysis.

Frequent, clear, and empathetic communication was a key determinant of overall process satisfaction across all participant groups. Staff identified that early engagement to set expectations and regular, proactive provision of information or reassurance throughout the process were essential to improving practitioner experience and making the complaint management process worthwhile for complainants and practitioners alike. Regular updates, direct engagement with staff managing complaints, and having an informed understanding of Ahpra and its role also had positive impacts.

Improvements to the provision of process information and continued investment in staff communication training are recommended to enhance positive experiences.

While high-profile cases have drawn attention to egregious violations committed by healthcare providers, less is known about the broader patterns of misconduct across all healthcare professions.

This study examines misconduct trends across 27 healthcare professions in Michigan between 2011 and 2023, utilizing data from the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). The project converted publicly available LARA disciplinary reports into an analyzable digital database, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of healthcare provider misconduct.

Findings include an 83.2% increase in complaints between 2011 and 2023, contrasted with a 3.6% decline in total sanctions over the same period. Negligence was the most frequently observed misconduct across all healthcare boards, while certain professions exhibited disproportionately high rates of misconduct. Sanctions varied widely, with fines being the most common and permanent license revocations being exceedingly rare.

The study highlights systemic challenges in oversight, including inconsistent reporting mechanisms, finite regulatory resources, and gaps in accountability. By revealing these limitations, the data underscores the need for process and policy reforms to improve transparency, standardize reporting, enhance regulatory capacity, and prioritize preventive intervention. This study identifies professional misconduct trends amongst Michigan healthcare providers (2011–2023), including high rates of sexual misconduct and violations of continuing education requirements in some professions. Fragmented and inconsistent reporting hinders effective oversight, undermining patient safety and public trust in the healthcare system.