INVITED SESSION Healing the Healer: Assessing, Treating and Monitoring the Addicted Physician

This workshop will review the specific clinical issues regarding physician's with substance use disorders. A description of a Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Assessment program, the essential elements of a specialized treatment and monitoring program will be discussed. The role of state physician health and hospital based physician assistance programs will be discussed. Outcomes will be reviewed.

Overview of the Unique Features of the Addicted Physician
The addicted physician has several unique features, many if which contribute to the good outcomes we see when this disorder is correctly addressed. These features include common personality styles, intensity and consistency of identification, assessment, treatment and monitoring. The infrastructure of protective and supportive monitoring structures of the state physician health programs will be discussed along with studies that have demonstrated excellent abstinence rates when certain conditions have been met.

Specialized Treatment for the Addicted Physician
Details regarding the specialized treatment for addicted physicians will be given This will include the decisions around determining the level of care and length of stay. Also the need for a peer group in treatment and specialized groups will be discussed. The importance of communication with the Physician Health Programs when involved along with detailed discharge planning with be presented.

Communication and the Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Assessment
The process of assessing an individual that presents for a fitness for duty evaluation begins with a referral, most commonly from a physician health program from various states or a hospital. The individual is contacted and a repour is established, setting the stage for forensic evaluation. There is constant communication between the multidisciplines, collateral calls to those that know the individual both personally and professionally, and consistent communication with the referral source. Finally, a detailed written report, with labs, is finalized and sent to the referral source within 10 days. There is always a final communication with the individual that is evaluated, to explain the findings and recommendations.

The role of hospital systems and well-being programs in the prevention, identification, and rehabilitation of the impaired clinician.
As more physicians are employed by large healthcare systems, it is important to understand the programs and resources available to help individual clinicians. Medical staff offices, chief medical officers, chiefs of staffs, chairs, occupational health, practitioner health committees, and well-being programs all have a role to play in assuring the health of clinicians and assisting them in being fit for duty. We will discuss some examples of various stakeholders and initiatives that can be used to help the impaired physician.