NCPHP receives approximately half of its referrals from the North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB); the remainder comes from hospitals, colleagues (Read NC Medical Board Statement on Professional Responsibility), self-referrals, and other sources including the NC Veterinary Medical Board. (See program statistics)

Anyone can call NCPHP to voice concerns over a health care professional. (Anonymous referrals are accepted, but in this situation, there is no leverage that can be applied to ensure the referred practitioner follows through with an assessment and recommendations.)

Self-referrals are well received, and highly recommended, as preemptively seeking NCPHP assistance can only be construed as a positive action, should the medical board later become aware of a problem. If you are considering self-referral, you might want to do a self-assessment by answering the Johns-Hopkins Twenty Questions. Another screening tool often used for preliminary assessment of a potential problem is the CAGE Questionnaire.

Additional Resources

• Protocol for making a referral for disruptive behavior
• Checklist for disruptive behavior ( Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF)

NC Medical Board Professional Obligation to Act

"It is the position of the North Carolina Medical Board that physicians have a professional obligation to act when confronted with an impaired or incompetent colleague or one who has engaged in unethical conduct."

NC Medical Board
November 1998