Ask the expert: Should our hospital implement administrative time outs?

The most common use of an administrative time out is to address repeated episodes of unprofessional conduct that occur after the medical staff’s efforts to intervene collegially have failed. The administrative time out is usually imposed for fewer than 14 days and does not obligate the medical staff to offer the offender a fair hearing. The goal is to help save a practitioner from the more serious consequences of termination from the staff. 
  
Administrative time outs provide medical staff leadership a tool to drive home the seriousness of the offenses without the consequences of a report to the National Practitioner Data Bank or termination of membership. 
  
When determining whether to include an option for administrative time outs in your bylaws and before implementing any such provision, it is wise to secure legal counsel. Notably, some state laws may bar an organization from using this approach. 
  
This week’s question and answer are adapted from The Greeley Guide to Medical Staff Bylaws, Second Edition, by Joseph D. Cooper, MD, CMSL.