How Do I Check Up on My Doctor?? (Part 1)

By: Angela

Have you wanted to look up a doctor to see if s/he has ever been in legal or licensing trouble? This series of posts helps you learn to be your own investigator.

#1: Check with the medical board

To do this, you need to go to the website for your state’s medical board. In Washington, we have the Medical Quality Assurance Commission (MQAC).

Click here to check on Washington providers.

You will need the physician’s last name, and at least the first initial of his or her first name. This also works for nurses, podiatrists, and other licensed providers.

Click on the correct provider, once you see his or her name. If the provider has been investigated and disciplined in Washington (i.e., if there has been any action on the license), you will see a red YES under the column for “action taken.” For actions taken in the last decade or so, some of the documents may be linked below, such as the Statement of Allegations. For older actions, you will need to call the Customer Service Center at (360) 236-4700. Don’t be shy about calling them!

Even if you see a “NO” under action taken, you still do not know whether the provider has been or is currently being investigated. You have to call the state at the number above, and ask “does this provider have any investigations, open or closed?” They will send you to the correct commission (e.g., nursing, medicine, etc.). If they say yes, there are investigations, you can ask for the date and the basis of the investigation(s). You may also make a public records request for more information. The latter is a process that can take a lot of time, so be sure to ask for all the information you can get over the phone before deciding to order records.

Remember: You have to check for each state separately. And most importantly, you must remember that the provider could have been sued for malpractice without any investigation or action by the state. Civil lawsuits and state license investigations are usually completely separate.

To learn more about how to find out whether your doctor has been sued, stay tuned for the next post.