Are Temporary Doctors Less Qualified?
It is only natural to assume that a physician who is only temporarily taking the place of a permanent staffer would be less committed to a higher standard of care. After all, a locum tenens (temporary doctor) replacement has fewer ties to the community and only a limited time to cement relationships with patients. They are also new to the working environment, so they possess less experience massaging the system to the benefit of their patients. On top of that, they have no long-term commitment, so they might not be as interested in impressing their peers. At least superficially, it would appear that temporary physicians are riskier than those in it for the long haul. However, common sense falters in the face of evidence. A new study published in the…