What Is…Medical Staff Peer Review?

The term medical staff refers to an organized body of licensed physicians, dentists, and other healthcare providers who are authorized by state law and by a hospital to provide medical care to patients within the hospital. A healthcare provider’s membership at a hospital must be reviewed for reappointment at least every two years. Such review and reappointment is based upon ongoing monitoring of specific information regarding the healthcare provider’s performance, medical judgment, clinical skills and professional behavior. This book covers the different kinds of peer review, as well as the various outcomes they can have. It begins by defining what constitutes a medical staff, and how they are governed. It then examines both the informal and formal peer review process, internal investigations, and disciplinary actions.