Texas Medical Association and Sham Peer Reviews

http://policy.texmed.org/

130.017     Physician Rights and Sham Peer Review:

The Texas Medical Association condemns “sham peer review” and manipulation of medical staff bylaws by hospitals attempting to silence physician concerns for access to quality care at hospitals and advocates against “sham peer review,” manipulation of medical staff bylaws and enforcement of such bylaws, and other tactics that chill or inhibit the ability of staff physicians to advocate for their patients (Res. 401-A-07).

The Texas Medical Association will (1) work to assure that accused physicians are granted reasonable rights and due process for peer review and quality assessment efforts;  (2) solicit member input and address issues related to misuse of peer review process or “disruptive physicians” policies by health care facilities or peer review entities; (3) work to educate and inform members about the potential misuse of peer review; and (4) work to end the use of “disruptive physicians” policies which are extended to non-patient care issues, such as economic credentialing, failure to support marketing or business plans of the hospital or health care facility, or are used as a recourse because the physician has raised serious quality or patient safety issues regarding the facility, and their practice (Res. 406-A-07).

Comment:   
State medical associations and professional societies representing physicians should take the lead in reforming the hospital peer review process to become fair and impartial. This is what patients expect. No patient wants to see his or her good doctor being eliminated by a flawed process.