National Consumer Protection Week: Consumer Services Offered by the Medical Board of California.

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2001

February 5-10 is National Consumer Protection Week. The Medical Board of California would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of its role in assuring that they receive quality medical care and how the Board can assist them in that pursuit.

The Medical Board is the state agency responsible for licensing and regulating physicians in California. It is part of the Department of Consumer Affairs, and is a consumer protection agency. As such, it offers two primary services to consumers -- it provides information about California-licensed physicians and many health-related topics; and handles complaints about California physicians.

The Medical Board of California has one of the broader information disclosure policies in the nation about its licensees. The following information about physicians is public record:

-- Physicians' address of record.

-- The date a physician's license was issued, and the date it will expire if
not renewed.

-- The medical school a physician graduated from, and year of graduation.

-- The status of a physician's license, e.g., current, revoked, retired, etc.

-- If a physician has been formally accused of wrongdoing by the Medical Board.


-- If a physician has been disciplined by the California Medical Board or the
medical board of another state.

-- If a physician has been convicted of a felony, reported to the Board after
January 3, 1991.

-- Malpractice judgments or arbitration awards reported to the Board after
January 1, 1993.

-- Any hospital disciplinary actions that resulted in the termination or
revocation of a physician's hospital staff privileges for a medical
disciplinary cause or reason reported to the Board after January 1, 1995.

To obtain the above information about a specific physician, the public may call the Medical Board's Consumer Information Line at 916/263-2382, or visit the Board's Web site at www.medbd.ca.gov.

In addition to this information, the Board's newly revamped Web site offers a great deal of information for consumers, physicians, and physician-applicants. Most of the Board's forms are now online, including its complaint form, application forms, and reporting forms required by law. Many of its consumer-education publications are available online and easily readable, as are other, shorter articles, such as information about patient access to medical records, ordering drugs online, and pain management. The site also has links to other helpful sites such as the American Board of Medical Specialties, to check on board certification of a physician; other related governmental sites; HMOs with Web sites, Physician's Desk Reference Online, etc.

To file a complaint against a physician, call the Medical Board's toll-free complaint line at 800/633-2322, or visit the Board's Web site.