Dispelling low-volume provider myths

Myth: A physician who has not provided inpatient care services recently is incompetent

Truth: A physician with little or no inpatient volume may have poorer outcomes than a physician with high volumes, but the lack of volume alone does not indicate that the physician is incompetent. It simply means there is little or no evidence for the hospital to analyze to determine whether the physician is competent.

This myth/truth is excerpted from Assessing the Competency of Low-Volume Practitioners: Tools and strategies for OPPE and FPPE compliance by Mark A. Smith, MD, MBA, CMSL and Sally Pelletier, CPMSMS, CPCS.