Tip of the week: Physicians should receive feedback from their peers

When physicians receive feedback about their behavior, that information is most often relayed by another physician because it is almost always negative, and physicians don’t respond well to anyone but another physician giving such feedback. Therefore, whether the feedback is provided in person or in writing, it is best if it comes from a physician—vice president of medical affairs, chief medical officer, chief of staff, department chair, service-line medical director, or medical staff quality committee chair. A group of physicians, such as the medical staff quality committee or medical executive committee, is also acceptable and can provide a physician with a written notification of an incident or an aggregate report regarding physician behavior data.