Tip of the week: Communicate all outcomes (not just the bad ones) to the physician

The peer review committee should notify any physician whose case is being reviewed of the findings, even if the care was appropriate or (better yet) exemplary. Communicating with physicians even when there are no issues gives the medical staff a more balanced perspective of the committee’s findings. Only contacting physicians when there is bad news leaves the impression that the committee is interested only in the bad apples.

This week’s tip is adapted from Peer Review Best Practices: Case Studies and Lessons Learned by Robert J. Marder, MD, CMSL and Jonathan H. Burroughs, MD, FACPE, CPE, FACEP, CMSL.