More lay members sought as lawmakers challenge who sits on medical boards

Also, a lawsuit in North Carolina seeks to change how physicians are nominated for the state's board.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. April 23/30, 2007.

In this era of patient safety, some are turning to legislation and others to litigation to change the makeup and authority of state medical boards. Those pushing for reforms believe the proposed changes will better protect the public and police the profession.

Lawmakers this year filed bills in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New Hampshire to add more public nonphysician members to the boards and give patients a greater voice in overseeing physicians. Board leaders said such legislation is part of a steady trend of placing more nonphysicians on boards, which some view as a way to keep physicians honest about regulating other doctors.

Meanwhile, a physician and three patients filed a lawsuit in North Carolina, claiming that the state medical society has too much power over the medical board. The suit asks that the process calling for the society to nominate physicians for board appointment be declared unconstitutional.

Medical board officials said these efforts are the latest wave of scrutiny for boards, which typically become targets of legislation after media reports focus on problem physicians or lax discipline by boards. Even if some of the measures fail to become law, the proposals have brought new examination of the boards that could lead to later reforms, officials said.

"Everybody's always looking to change the medical board in some way," said Jim McNatt, MD, medical director of Georgia's Composite State Board of Medical Examiners.

At present, all but three states (Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi) have public members on their medical boards, according to the Federation of State Medical Boards. MDs and DOs make up 71% of medical board members while 24% are public members. The remaining board spots are filled by other health care professionals. About 10 years ago, public members made up roughly 10% of boards.