Flourishing in Medicine: From Surviving to Thriving Episode 19 Healing the Healers: Dr. Sara Charles on Malpractice, Mental Health, and Medical Community Transformation

Our guest today is Sara C. Charles, MD, a psychiatrist, and professor emerita at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. In 1976, Dr. Charles endured a six-week trial for medical malpractice in federal court which resulted in a defense verdict. The experience of the trial so profoundly affected her that she began to study the mental, emotional, and physical effects of malpractice litigation on physician defendants. Her pioneering research published in the 1980s and 90s is relied on today by physicians, clinicians, and experts in physician wellness. A prolific writer, books co-authored by Dr. Charles include Defendant, A Psychiatrist on Trial for Medical Malpractice (written with her husband, Dr. Eugene Kennedy), and Adverse Events, Stress and Litigation (written with her dear friend and attorney, the late Paul Frisch).Retired from active practice, Dr. Charles remains engaged in promoting the wellness of all healthcare professionals who become involved in malpractice litigation and in this conversation, she shares her journey into medicine, shaped by her upbringing in a large Irish Catholic family that valued education. Despite initial thoughts of pursuing social work, she pursued a path in biology and chemistry, ultimately finding her calling in psychiatry due to her ability to connect with patients. She recounts a pivotal event in their career when a patient sued her, sparking an interest in addressing the emotional toll of malpractice litigation on physicians. Her experiences during the lengthy malpractice proceedings highlighted the lack of support and isolation physicians face, driving her advocacy for cultural change within the medical community to better address the psychological impact of litigation. Her interest, research, and investigations about this topic led to the publications of several seminal books about the experience of physicians of being sued and the establishment of the Physician Litigation Stress Organization.Emphasizing the importance of peer support and cultural change within medicine, Dr. Charles advocates for a deeper appreciation of the moral and existential nature of medical work in medical education, aiming to address the emotional toll of malpractice litigation and improve physician well-being. Her varied interests and deep social connections underscore the role of community, the importance of medical work, and the cultivation of an integrated social fabric in finding flourishing in medicine and in life. Guest: Sara Charles, MD Founder, The Physician Litigation Stress Resource Center Website: https://physicianlitigationstress.org/ Resources/References: Charles SC and Frisch PR.Adverse Events, Stress, and Litigation: A Physician’s GuideNew York. Oxford University Press, 2005. Charles SC, Kennedy EC.Defendant: A Psychiatrist on Trial for Medical Malpractice New York. Random House, (Vintage Books), 1986. Plumb EJ. World changing. Ann Intern Med. 2015 Apr 21;162(8):594-5. doi: 10.7326/M14-2076. PMID: 25894031.