Should you be able to know your doctors history?

I was watching a really interesting show this evening and they were talking about how people aren't allowed to know their doctors history. The history I'm talking about is their record, their past complaints, etc. There is no way you can find out about...

your doctors history, sure you could do some research but the doctors office wont give you any information.

There was a woman who had trusted a doctor through her entire birthing process from start to finish, he seemed completely normal to her and was very helpful. When it came time to deliver he did a ton of things wrong, which lead to his position being dismissed. Anyways so this doctor had 31 complaints in his past, which is TRIPLE the average and there was absolutely no way of this woman knowing this, in the end her child died from the delivery being done wrong. This could have been prevented if she had known all the past complaints he has had.

They were even saying you can learn *more* about a car's past than you can find out about your own doctor's past, the one you are sometimes trusting your life with.

How does this make you feel?

oh wow
that makes me feel horrible
because I have many doctors
my rhuematologist and pediatrician and podiatrist and neurologist
but what about other doctors
like phycologists?

That's awful- while I don't think doctors should have their records plastered all over the walls of their practice, I think it should be possible for you to research them on perhaps a registered practitioner's database.

On a related note, I also think in some countries it would be good to know which doctors will prescribe contraception. I live in a country which is strongly influenced by religion, and as a result, there are a few doctors who won't prescribe the emergency contraceptive pill (morning after pill), and some won't even prescribe the standard daily contraceptive pill. I think patients have a right to know before they make an appointment.

I dont know about Canada, but I'm sure they have this too, you can go on the licensing board website in the US and check up on them... it will say if they have had any complaints.

http://www.docboard.org/