Ask the expert: What is a precautionary suspension?

Many hospitals have adopted the term precautionary suspension to better reflect the nature of a suspension that is imposed when patient safety is concerned. Some staffs reserve this terminology for circumstances when an investigation has not yet established whether a restriction on privileges is necessary. One of the goals of using a precautionary suspension in this manner is to create an option that is not reportable to the National Practitioner Data Bank. Because the medical staff has not determined clinical imcompetence or unprofessional conduct, no completed professional review action has been taken. A risk to patients is suspected but not confirmed, and the suspension is imposed as a precaution and is therefore not considered a punitive action, and no hearing is required.

This week's question and answer are excerpted from The Greeley Guide to Medical Staff Bylaws, Second Edition by Joseph D. Cooper, MD.