Is peer review protected?
Peer review records and deliberations are confidential and may not be disclosed outside of the judicial process. Peer Review Immunity and Protection from Retaliation.
Is medical peer review discoverable?
“Peer-review privilege is a privilege that protects from disclosure the proceedings and reports of a medical facility’s peer-review committee, which reviews and oversees the patient care and medical services provided by the medical staff. Thus, all peer-review documents are discoverable in federal court.
Is there a federal peer review privilege?
In federal-question cases, federal courts will apply federal privilege law; however, there is no federal common-law peer review privilege. So, state peer-review privileges that would normally protect a healthcare provider’s peer-review materials offer no protection when federal-question jurisdiction exists.
What protects peer review discussion within a medical practice?
The “peer review privilege” is a special status that protects communications that occur when healthcare providers review and critique their peers, with the goal of healthcare improvement.
What is peer review privilege?
The peer review privilege prevents patient-plaintiffs from obtaining the hospital records prepared in connection with quality review proceedings. The privilege, created by statute in most states, is rationalized by the need for confidentiality in promoting complete and candid peer review.
What is the peer review protection act?
193), entitled “An act providing for the increased use of peer review groups by giving protection to individuals and data who report to any review group,” extending the protection given by the act to review committees of associations of veterinarians; and redefining “professional health care providers” to include …
What is the peer review privilege?
Are utilization review notes discoverable?
Code Ann., HEALTH OCC. §1-401 (2008) “The proceedings, records, and files of a medical review committee are not discoverable and are not admissible in evidence in any civil action.”
What is peer review in hospitals?
Clinical peer review, also known as medical peer review is the process by which health care professionals, including those in nursing and pharmacy, evaluate each other’s clinical performance. A discipline-specific process may be referenced accordingly (e.g., physician peer review, nursing peer review).
How does medical peer review work?
A medical peer review is a performance assessment. Through this process, peers evaluate other physicians’ clinical performances. Teams of multiple physicians are assembled, often by administrative committees and ethics committees, to review the patient charts and activities of a particular physician.
Why is medical peer review important?
The primary purpose of peer review is to improve the quality and safety of care. Secondarily, it serves to reduce the organization’s vicarious malpractice liability and meet regulatory requirements. In the US, these include accreditation, licensure and Medicare participation.
Can peer review privilege be waived?
The protection, however, is not absolute. Hersh outlines these limitations to the peer review privilege in California: Although the member of a committee cannot be compelled to testify, any member can do so voluntarily because the privilege against testifying is held by each individual and not by the committee.
What is peer review protection?
In the US, peer review activity is generally protected under state statutes. The protection may include confidentiality of the review process and protection to reviewers and institutions for good faith efforts to improve quality and safety through review activity.
What is peer review in healthcare?
peer review. 1. a basic component of a quality assurance program in which the results of health care given to a specific patient population are evaluated according to health-wellness outcome criteria established by peers of the professionals delivering the care.
What is a peer to peer medical review?
Peer-to-peer review. A peer-to-peer (P2P) discussion is a telephone conversation between a licensed Regence physician and the physician or clinical reviewer and the physician or other health care professional requesting authorization for coverage or to discuss a denial of a provider-administered medication pre-authorization request.