Blog post: What does documentation have to do with peer review?

In the November issue of Medical Staff Briefing, we discuss peer review documentation and the importance of creating comprehensive records for peer review files. This includes documenting informal or collegial meetings with physicians, according to Joanne P. Hopkins, JD, a health law attorney based in Austin, Texas. Records of these interactions serve the purpose of establishing trends in physician performance and behavior, and may also be required as evidence in the event of a peer review hearing.

Hopkins, who presented on the importance of documentation in peer review and hearing preparation at the 2012 NAMSS conference in San Francisco last month, provided several examples of correspondence between the practitioner and the peer review committee following a meeting. These letters should include specific details about the meeting and any follow-up actions. To see some specific examples, visit the Credentialing Resource Center blog.