TEXAS PHYSICIANS PROFILES

As a result of legislation passed in 1999, Texas is making detailed physician profiles available online. The profiles will list any disciplinary actions taken against a physician and also answer some of the questions most often asked by patients: Does the doctor accept Medicaid or Medicare patients? Is the office accessible to the disabled? Are language translating services available? At what hospitals does the doctor have privileges?

Limited information on Texas physicians, including whether they have ever been disciplined, already is available on the Internet, via the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners Web site.

A notation of "Disciplinary Actions" at the bottom of the current profile means that some type of action has been taken against that physician. In such a case, an open-records request for details can be filed online, with the material mailed to the requestor. If under "Disciplinary Actions" the Web site says "No information on file," then that doctor has no violations.

With nearly 50,000 physicians in Texas, the expanded profiles will take some time to gather and put online for all doctors.

To check the current profile on a doctor click "http://www.tsbme.state.tx.us" to go to the site. In the column on the left side select the link to "Physician Profile".

To return now to the Table of Subjects, click on "home" in the above blue border.