The questions Mass. doctors won't have to answer

Also: A plan to end needle phobia [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 13, 2024 Hi CommonHealth reader, As someone interested in health and medicine, you probably know that burnout among physicians is, unfortunately, very common. The hours are long. The work can be stressful. The administrative burdens can feel overwhelming. Many health care professionals also deal with depression or anxiety, and they’re at disproportionately higher risk of suicide, according to the CDC. It has been common practice for licensing boards, hospitals and insurance companies to ask doctors about their history of mental illness and addiction. This happens every few years when doctors fill out forms to maintain their licenses and medical credentials. Often, they have to disclose details about their mental health conditions —even if those problems don’t hinder their ability to take care of patients and even if they’re getting treatment. Now, as I reported for WBUR and NPR, there are [concerted efforts under way to change this](. In Massachusetts, all hospitals and health insurers have promised this year to stop asking clinicians about their history of mental illness and addiction in the paperwork used to determine if someone can safely care for patients. Instead, they'll ask only about current conditions — mental or physical — that could impair someone's ability to practice medicine. Massachusetts health care leaders say it's the first such effort in the nation. Medical licensing boards in [more than two dozen states]( already have stopped asking physicians broad questions about mental health. Now hospitals and insurers in Massachusetts are pledging to do the same. "If you're currently able to practice medicine, and you're taking care of yourself, that's what we should be interested in — not what you did previously," said Dr. Barbara Spivak, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society. "That's a huge step forward." The rationale for updating credentialing forms, Spivak and others told me, is to reduce the stigma of mental illness and addiction, and to encourage doctors to seek help instead of feeling pressured to conceal their struggles. Many physicians fear they could be shamed, penalized or even lose their jobs for disclosing details about their mental health. The story of Dr. Lisa Harbury Lerner, a Boston-area dermatologist who died by suicide in 2021, serves as a reminder of the real-life stakes of the change. Her husband, Dr. Ethan Lerner, said credentialing and licensing form questions were an obstacle for Lisa. The questions violated her privacy and contributed to her reluctance to seek care for her depression, he said. "No one worked harder than her, no one could do a better job than her, and so why was this relevant at all?" Ethan told me. You can read more about Lisa's story and the changing attitudes about doctors and mental health in [my full article for NPR](. P.S.— CommonHealth is taking next week off for the Presidents Day holiday, but we’ll be back in your inboxes Feb. 27. Priyanka Dayal McCluskey Senior Health Reporter [Follow]( Support the news  This Week's Must Reads [Shots can be scary and painful for kids. One doctor has a plan to end needle phobia]( Research suggests the biggest source of pain for children in the health care system is needles. One California doctor says the fear of needles is a serious problem, but proposes some simple solutions. [Read more.]( [Shots can be scary and painful for kids. One doctor has a plan to end needle phobia]( Research suggests the biggest source of pain for children in the health care system is needles. One California doctor says the fear of needles is a serious problem, but proposes some simple solutions. 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