The cost of disruptive and unprofessional behaviors in health care

Rationale and Objectives: In an era of decreased reimbursements and rising expenses, academic health care systems are seeking alternative sources of funding. We hypothesized that the costs associated with disruptive physician behavior represented a source of potential savings and hence a possible financial stream which could be redirected to support other academic activities. Materials and Methods: To test this hypothesis, we reviewed costs associated with disruptive behavior in clinical and education settings and estimated their savings in academic health care systems. Results: In a 400 bed hospital, the combined costs for disruptive physician behaviors (due to staff turnover, medication errors and procedural errors) exceed $1 million. Conclusions: Reducing disruptive physician behavior in academic health care systems is a potential funding stream with the added benefits of improved patient safety, reduced medical errors and improved medical student/resident education.