Increased Complexities of Employing, Investigating, and Reporting Sexual Harassment by Physicians

In recent decades, significant due-process rights have expanded to protect physicians from certain non-governmental actions. This expansion has added complexity to issues involving medical-staff membership. Now, insurance companies and medical staffs in hospitals and large practices must provide several legal protections—including a quasi-judicial hearing—before disciplining members. These allow physicians to know the reason for any discipline and have a chance to address the issue, rather than having their careers upended for unknown reasons and with no opportunity to present a case. But these pre-discipline protections can increase the time it takes to discipline a physician for misconduct.