Ask the expert: Peer review integration

Q: What are the risks when integrating peer review systems?

Sara Cameron, CPMSM, CPCS, senior consultant with The Hardenbergh Group: Different thresholds and cultures around review [are risks]. Some hospitals are very structured, and others are more informal. If you blend processes without fully understanding how each organization handles confidentiality and PSO protections, you can create real risk.

Q: How do you ensure fairness when cultures differ?

Cameron: Start by agreeing on a shared definition of fairness and just culture. Set consistent triggers and standards and then spend time educating physician leaders. Fairness isn’t just in the process—it’s in how confidently leaders apply it.

Q: What should MSPs do immediately to protect quality and safety?

Cameron: Secure all peer review data, understand each site’s workflow, and put a temporary structure in place before trying to standardize anything. The worst things that can happen are cases stalling or getting lost during transition.

Editor’s note: This article was excerpted from our Credentialing Resource Center Journal newsletter.