Characteristics and outcomes of doctors in a substance dependence monitoring programme in Canada: prospective descriptive study

doi:10.1136/bmj.a2098

Published 3 November 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2098
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2098

Research

Characteristics and outcomes of doctors in a substance dependence monitoring programme in Canada: prospective descriptive study

Joan M Brewster, assistant professor¹, I Michael Kaufmann, medical director², Sarah Hutchison, senior director, information management³, Cynthia MacWilliam, associate director²

¹ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7, Canada, ² Ontario Physician Health Program, Ontario Medical Association, Toronto, ³ Ontario Medical Association, Toronto

Correspondence to: J M Brewster jmbrewster{at}sympatico.ca

Objective To describe the characteristics at enrolment and outcomesof doctors in a substance dependence monitoring programme inCanada.

Design Prospective descriptive study.

Setting Provincial physician health programme, Canada.

Participants All 100 doctors consecutively admitted to a substancedependence monitoring programme and followed until completionof monitoring or on leaving the programme.

Main outcome measure Relapse during long term monitoring forfive years.

Results Ninety per cent of the doctors enrolled on the programmewere men, 66% were married or living with a partner, 44% hadhad previous treatment for substance dependence, and 36% hadhad previous psychiatric treatment. Smokers were over-representedcompared with the general population of US doctors (38% v 5%).During the monitoring period 71% of participants had no knownrelapse. An additional 14% went on to complete the programme,after some form of relapse. In total, 85% of the doctors successfullycompleted the programme.

Conclusion In this cohort of doctors enrolled on the OntarioPhysician Health Program for substance dependence, most weremen who were dependent on alcohol or opioids. Smokers were over-representedcompared with the general population of US doctors. Eighty fiveper cent successfully completed the programme.

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