Medical Council of NSW

Medical Council of NSW

Project members - Macquarie University

• Braithwaite, Jeffrey (Primary Chief Investigator)
• Clay-Williams, Robyn (Primary Chief Investigator, Project Lead)
• Mitchell, Rebecca (Primary Chief Investigator)
• Hibbert, Peter (Primary Chief Investigator)
• Arnolda, Gaston (Primary Chief Investigator)

Project Contact:

Associate Professor Robyn Clay-Williams E: robyn.clay-williams@mq.edu.au

Project sponsors

NSW Medical Council

Project main description

The Medical Council of New South Wales addresses issues concerning the behaviour of medical practitioners, and monitors doctors residing in NSW who are subject to conditions, suspensions or who have orders imposed on their medical registration. The Council sought to better predict practitioners who are at higher risk of receiving a complaint.

This research program developed and assessed risk assessment models to identify factors predictive of: (i) medical practitioners receiving at least one complaint; (ii) the risk of medical practitioners who received a complaint receiving one or more other complaints; and (iii) monitored medical practitioners at a higher risk of future complaints. The algorithms will be incorporated into the Medical Council computer based record system in 2022, to assist in Council decision-making and management of NSW medical practitioners.

Publications related to this research

Austin E, Do V, Nullwala, R., Fajardo Pulido D, Hibbert P, Braithwaite J, Arnolda G, Wiles L, Theodorou T, Tran Y, Lystad R, Hatem S, Long J, Rapport F, Pantle A, & Clay-Williams R. A systematic review of the factors and the key indicators that identify doctors at risk of complaints, malpractice. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e050377. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050377

Do V, Arnolda G, Lystad RP, Tran Y, Clay-Williams R, Braithwaite J, Hibbert P, Mitchell R. (2021) Developing risk assessment models for medical practitioners at-risk of receiving a complaint.  Sydney: Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University.

Funding acknowledgement

Medical Council NSW

Project status

Completed (2020-2021)

Centres and research stream related to this project

Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science

Human  Factors and Resilient Heathcare research stream

Health and Societal Outcomes research stream