A law signed by Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown Sept. 19 requires California physicians put on probation for sexual misconduct, among other behaviors, to disclose that information to their patients, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
Here are four things to know:
1. The law, authored by state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, requires physicians to notify patients of a probation for drug abuse, criminal conviction involving patient harm, inappropriate prescribing resulting in patient harm or sexual misconduct.
2. The California Medical Board only puts a small number of California's 140,000 physicians on probation for these offense. Physicians under probation are still allowed to practice.
3. A physicians' probation notification to patients must be made in writing or given to patients before their first appointment. They must also notify their hospital employer and malpractice insurer if they have been placed on probation. The state medical board will also disclose the information on its website.
4. The law applies to any physicians placed on probation on or after July 1, 2019.