A national medical register: balancing public transparency and professional privacy

• Published in: Medical journal of Australia 2008-02, Vol.188 (4), p.247-249
• Main Authors: Healy, Judith M, Maffi, Costanza L, Dugdale, Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access to Information; Accountability; Australia; Biological and medical sciences; Consumers; Councils; Credentialing; Education, Medical, Continuing; Family physicians; General aspects; Health services administration; Humans; Information; Internet; Legislation; Medical malpractice; Medical personnel; Medical practitioners; Medical sciences; Physicians - standards; Physicians - statistics & numerical data; Practitioner profiles; Privacy; Professionals; Professions; Proposals; Public access; Qualifications; Registration; Registries - standards; Registries - statistics & numerical data; Transparency; Tribunals & commissions
• ISSN: 0025-729X; 1326-5377
• DOI: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01597.x

The first aim of a medical registration scheme should be to protect patients. Medical registration boards currently offer variable information to the public on doctors’ registration status. Current reform proposals for a national registration scheme should include free public access to professional profiles of registered medical practitioners. Practitioner profiles should include: practitioner's full name and practice address; type of qualifications; year first registered, and duration and type of registration; any conditions on registration and practice; any disciplinary action taken; and participation in continuing professional education.