The Texas Medical Board (TMB) received 8,114 complaints in Fiscal Year 2017. Based on those complaints, the Board opened 2,055 investigations against physicians and other providers it licenses.
This represents an increase over Fiscal Year 2016, when the Board received 7,821 complaints and opened 1,967 investigations. In fact, the number of TMB complaints received and investigations opened have increased every year for the past four years.
Why Do Patients File Complaints Against Doctors?
Patients file complaints against Texas doctors for many reasons. The following are a few main reasons for which patients file complaints:
- Complaints about the Quality of Care provided to the patient.
- Failure to fulfill expectation for examination and treatment.
- Failure to promptly or properly diagnose illness.
- Incompetent practice.
- Inadequate communication.
- Causing excessive pain during treatment.
- Practicing beyond the physician’s area of expertise.
- Inappropriate behavior
- Unprofessional conduct.
- Unauthorized release of confidential information.
- Other violations concerning medical records, the maintenance of records, or failure to timely furnish medical records.
The Board has the authority to take disciplinary action against a physician in instances where it finds that a violation of the Texas Medical Practice Act or a TMB Rule occurred. Disciplinary action can include license revocation, suspension, probation, and/or other sanctions and fines.
How Should I Respond to a TMB Complaint Filed by a Patient?
If the patient’s complaint has moved to the investigation stage, it is critical that you:
- Hire a medical license defense attorney. Hiring the right attorney may mean the difference between protecting your medical license or losing your license and good reputation.
- Timely respond to the allegations by the deadline set by the Board in its initial notice to you. How you initially respond is critical to the ultimate outcome of your case. It is not uncommon that we shut down frivolous and unwarranted complaints with a well-crafted first response. Our results speak for themselves.
- Understand what the TMB complaint process entails and what the potential outcomes are in the case against you.
Is Your Medical License is at Risk?
If you are under investigation by the Texas Medical Board, your license, reputation, and career are on the line. It’s critically important that you take the complaint seriously from the start and address the allegations head-on.
For more information, please review The Do’s and Don’ts of Appearing Before the Texas Medical Board (TMB) and our FREE eBook When Your License is Under Attack: A Survival Guide for Texas Professionals.
Our law firm helps professionals, like you, keep their licenses when those licenses are under attack by a state agency or board.
If you have received a licensing complaint, BERTOLINO LLP can help. We represent licensed professionals across the entire State of Texas. Our honest, experienced attorneys will fight aggressively on behalf of your license and reputation.
If you have questions or need to speak with an attorney about professional license defense, please call (512) 476-5757 or click here to contact us.
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
