Physician Impairment and Rehabilitation
Authors: Philip J. Candilis, Lois Snyder Sulmasy
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2019)

Letters5 November 2019Physician Impairment and RehabilitationPhilip J. Candilis, MD and Lois Snyder Sulmasy, JDPhilip J. Candilis, MDSaint Elizabeths Hospital and George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC (P.J.C.)Search for more papers by this author and Lois Snyder Sulmasy, JDAmerican College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (L.S.S.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L19-0554 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Drs. Lawson and Boyd propose a novel legal interpretation of the ADA without providing supporting precedent or legal scholarship. The ADA's employment discrimination protection requires that a person be “qualified” (that is, able to perform essential work requirements with or without reasonable accommodation) and not pose a “direct threat” to the health or safety of others. Legal decisions have deferred to institutional judgments when a clinician is not qualified or poses a risk to others (1). In fact, the ADA permits employers to “make inquiries” into an employee's ability to perform job-related functions. Employers do not violate the ...References1. Candilis PJ, Kim DT, Sulmasy LS; ACP Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee. Physician impairment and rehabilitation: reintegration into medical practice while ensuring patient safety: a position paper from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2019;170:871-9. [PMID: 31158847]. doi:10.7326/M18-3605 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Rothstein L. Impaired physicians and the ADA. JAMA. 2015;313:2219-20. [PMID: 26057277] doi:10.1001/jama.2015.4602 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. DuPont RL, McLellan AT, White WL, et al. Setting the standard for recovery: physicians' health programs. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2009;36:159-71. [PMID: 19161896] doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2008.01.004 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Knight JR, Sanchez LT, Sherritt L, et al. Outcomes of a monitoring program for physicians with mental and behavioral health problems. J Psychiatr Pract. 2007;13:25-32. [PMID: 17242589] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Saint Elizabeths Hospital and George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC (P.J.C.)American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (L.S.S.)Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M18-3605. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoPhysician Impairment and Rehabilitation: Reintegration Into Medical Practice While Ensuring Patient Safety: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians Philip J. Candilis , Daniel T. Kim , Lois Snyder Sulmasy , and Physician Impairment and Rehabilitation Nicholas D. Lawson and J. Wesley Boyd Metrics 5 November 2019Volume 171, Issue 9Page: 681-682KeywordsAnxietyDisclosurePatient advocacyPeer reviewSafetySuicideSurgeons ePublished: 5 November 2019 Issue Published: 5 November 2019 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...