Citation

McManus J, Magaret ND, Hedges JR, Rayner NB, Rice M. Acad. Emerg. Med. 2005; 12(9): 896-899.

Affiliation

US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX 78234-6315, USA. john.mcmanus@amedd.army.mil

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1197/j.aem.2005.04.023

PMID

16141026

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To assess emergency physician reporting patterns in Oregon before and after the passage of a mandatory intoxicated driving reporting law. METHODS: A one-page survey was mailed to 504 emergency physicians in Oregon in April 2004. Data on reporting frequency were collected using a four-point ordinal scale regarding motor vehicle crash-involved drivers (MIDs) and intoxicated persons attempting to drive away from the emergency department (DAEDs). Paired observations were assessed for a stated increase in reporting activity following passage of the law using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Associations of postlaw reporting and demographic and knowledge factors were sought using Spearman rank correlation analysis. RESULTS: Of the 504 surveys mailed, 298 (59%) were adequate for analysis. Many respondents (57%) were already aware of the law. Most (92%) agreed that physicians should be mandated to report some crimes. MIDs were always reported by 18% of physicians before the law and by 47% afterward, whereas DAEDs were always reported by 56% of physicians before the law and by 69% afterward. Emergency medicine-trained physicians, higher emergency department census, and increased years of experience were associated with a significantly higher increase in reporting pattern after passage of the law for both MIDs and DAEDs. CONCLUSIONS: Although 44% of responding emergency physicians in Oregon were unaware of a mandated reporting law for intoxicated drivers presenting to the ED, most physicians stated an increase in their reporting practice.