GREENVILLE ? The three-year rate of doctors disciplined in South Carolina fell slightly last year, according to an annual report from the Public Citizen Health Research Group.

The nonprofit group's analysis suggests South Carolina remains among the 10 worst states in protecting patients from dangerous doctors.

The ranking measures the number of license revocations, suspensions, probations and other restrictions placed on doctors between 2003 and 2005 as reported to the Federation of State Medical Boards.

The South Carolina Medical Board took serious disciplinary actions on 2.06 per 1,000 doctors in the state. Mississippi had the lowest rate at 1.62 per 1,000 doctors; Kentucky had the highest at 9.07 per 1,000 doctors.

Last year, the group reported South Carolina's rate was 2.18 doctors per 1,000 in the period 2002 to 2004.

"The only explanation for fivefold differences is that the boards in the top are doing a better job of carrying out their state Medical Practice Act," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, research group director. "There is not a shred of evidence that the quality of doctors overall is any different in any state."