Credentialing applications for physicians have long included a question about whether or not they had ever received mental healthcare. Now some are advocating for that question's removal.
According to an article from the American Medical Association, these questions read along the following lines: "Have you been diagnosed with and/or received treatment for a physical, mental, chemical dependency or emotional condition which could impair your ability to practice medicine?"
That was the question verbatim at Henry Ford Health, based in Detroit, until Lisa MacLean, MD, the system's chief clinical wellness officer, advocated for its change.
Now, for Henry Ford Health, physicians answer a question that only asks about the current state of their mental health and care: "Are you diagnosed with or receiving treatment for any condition (physical, mental, emotional or substance-dependence related) that currently impairs your ability to practice medicine?"
Asking about it in revised terms removes barriers that physicians might feel in obtaining the mental healthcare they need, Dr. MacLean explained in the AMA article.
"People feel supported, and they're really delighted that we've made these changes," Dr. MacLean told the AMA. "Interestingly, when you start talking about it, they start talking about even more ways that we can break down those barriers."
The tide behind this move is growing. In February, the Georgia Composite Medical Board also revised its language around this question. It now reads: "Are you currently suffering from any condition for which you are not being appropriately treated that impairs your judgment or that would otherwise adversely affect your ability to practice medicine in a competent, ethical, and professional manner?"
Other groups including the American Psychiatric Association Assembly and the AMA have called for similar guidelines. In 2018, the APAA criticized such questions as being "overbroad and discriminatory" and emphasized that they "should be avoided altogether."
Dr. MacLean recommends other healthcare systems that may be seeking to update their own policies in line with this follow these guidelines.