Managing Disruptive Physicians in the #MeToo Era

Disruptive behavior in medical settings can foster medical errors, contribute to poor patient satisfaction, and compromise staff morale. According to the Joint Commission, unprofessional and disruptive behavior can manifest itself in many forms, including sexual harassment, which unnecessarily places patients, employees, and employing institutions at risk. Such behavior can also foster medical errors, contribute to poor patient satisfaction, compromise staff morale, and has the potential to interrupt or end medical training and careers. As evidenced by the #MeToo and Times Up movements, such behavior may lead to lawsuits, exorbitant economic costs, and long-lasting reputational harm. To promote a culture of safety, healthcare employers - particularly hospitals - must take steps to educate staff about, avoid and promptly respond to incidents of sexually harassing behavior.

This program will review legal principles, actual cases involving sexual harassment and hostile work environment claims, and case studies. Participants will be encouraged to recognize the early signs of unprofessional behavior that, if allowed to continue, may adversely impact patients, staff, and healthcare employers, while threatening the careers and/or residency training of physicians and residents. The discussion will focus on how sexually-hostile behaviors in a healthcare environment implicate the ACGME core competencies, particularly Professionalism, Interpersonal and Communications Skills, and Systems-Based Practice. The presenters will also identify and discuss strategies and mechanisms for promoting professionalism and preventing and responding to unprofessional behavior.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define professionalism and understand the consequences of professional misconduct, including accountability from leadership, licensure oversight and reporting obligations
2. Discuss the relationship between professionalism and ACGME core competencies
3. Review laws, bylaws, and policies prohibiting harassment, including sexual harassment, as well as resources and tools for ensuring for professionalism in the workplace and successful residency training
4. Identify appropriate types of progressive discipline, remediation, and corrective action