Texas medical board wants physician competency testing

The state medical association isn't sold on the idea, though, so the two groups are trying to reach agreement before the Legislature meets.

By Andis Robeznieks, AMNews staff. Nov. 25, 2002.

The Texas State Board of Medical Examiners is hoping to get the authority to test physicians' "mental agility," but it's the board's ability to jump through legislative hoops that will get tested first.

In January, the board will ask the state Legislature to allow it to require proficiency or competency testing of physicians every 10 years. If the plan wins legislative support, Texas will become the first state in the nation to require such testing.

"It's optimistic, but -- if we clear the hurdle in the Legislature -- we would start testing in 2005 or 2006," said TSBME Executive Director Donald W. Patrick, MD. "We're political amateurs in this agency, and I've had some legislators tell me it takes two or three legislative sessions to get a bill passed."

The Texas Legislature meets only every other year, so Dr. Patrick said there is some urgency to get the legislative process started. But the leadership of the Texas Medical Assn. is not sold on the legislation and has formed a liaison committee with the TSBME to see if their differences can be resolved.

"The Texas Medical Assn. certainly supports the Board of Medical Examiners in this attempt to ensure that quality care is delivered to our citizens by quality practicing physicians," said TMA Chair Ladon W. Homer, MD. "At this point, we simply differ on how that should be accomplished. Our main concern with this concept is that it's never been tried, and there is no scientific evidence to show that it provides what they're hoping it will provide. [...]