PPE

January 6, 2022

Posted on by Courtney Patterson

QUESTION:
Our peer review committee is wondering if the name of the physician under review should be redacted so that committee members are not aware of the physician’s identity.  Would this promote a fair review process?

OUR ANSWER FROM HORTYSPRINGER ATTORNEY PHIL ZARONE:

While at first blush it might seem like a good idea, we do not recommend that the “blinding” of reviews be part of the peer review/professional practice evaluation (“PPE”) process.  Here’s why:

  • This practice could actually create unnecessary legal risk because it makes it more difficult to manage conflicts of interest. If a disqualifying conflict of interest exists between a committee member and the physician under review, the blinding of information might prevent this from being identified early on.  As such, there could be an allegation later that the committee member actually knew the identity of the subject physician but was deliberately not recused.
  • Obtaining input from the physician under review is an essential component of a fair and effective process. While this input is generally written, there are times a meeting is beneficial as well.  While you could probably shield the identity of physicians when they submit written comments, of course it would be impossible to do so for meetings.  Thus, physicians would be treated differently depending on whether a meeting was held or not.
  • If blinding of information is a component of the peer review process but members of the committee determine the identity of the physician in some cases (e.g., because they heard of a certain case or because there is only one physician in a certain subspecialty), it could lead to allegations by an unhappy physician that the committee violated its policy/practice because the committee knew the identity of that individual. It could be alleged this is “proof” that the committee members were biased in their review.
  • It would take a tremendous amount of careful work to attempt to blind reviews consistently and we think it is impractical on a day-to-day basis. It would stress the PPE specialists (i.e., those who support the review process) more than is necessary, distract them from assisting the process in other and better ways, and all for no great gain.
  • Despite everyone’s best efforts, it is exceedingly difficult to do this completely and ensure anonymity. In many cases, committee members will still know the identity of the physician subject to review.
  • There may be times when the committee members want to access a portion of the EHR during deliberations, which would clearly reveal the identity of the physician.

•   Once the case at issue is assessed, it is then critical for the committee members to know the physician’s history, personality, circumstances, etc.  This information will help the committee identify the most appropriate performance improvement tool (e.g., collegial counseling, educational letter, etc.) and who should be involved.

March 25, 2021

Posted on by jwilbert

QUESTION:       Can our professional practice evaluation/peer review committee use e-mail to communicate with physicians about the review of clinical or behavioral concerns?

ANSWER:           Yes.  Physician leaders have told us that they prefer communicating via e-mail (both internally and with the physician under review) because it’s quick and less formal than regular mail.  The lack of formality can help to reduce anxiety on the part of the recipient and convey the message that the PPE/peer review process is meant to be educational, not punitive.  In contrast, using certified mail sends the message that the Hospital is anticipating a confrontation and that lawyers will soon be involved.

Using e-mail to discuss PPE/peer review matters would not, on its own, waive the peer review privilege under state law.  However, there are several best practices that should be adopted:

    • All e-mails should include a standard convention, such as “Confidential PPE/Peer Review Communication” in the subject line.
    • E-mail should not be sent to non-Hospital accounts unless the e-mail merely directs recipients to check their Hospital e-mail.
    • If the e-mail contains any Protected Health Information (as that term is defined by the HIPAA Privacy Rule), the e-mail must comply with the Hospital’s HIPAA policies. Often, this will require that the e-mail be encrypted.
    • If an e-mail includes a deadline for a response (for example, a request for input or to attend a meeting), the Hospital may want to send a text message or call the physician to say that the e-mail is being sent. The goal is to ensure the physician is aware of the e-mail so the deadline is not missed.  However, the Hospital’s policy should also make clear that failure to send a text message or make a phone call is not an excuse for the physician to miss a deadline.

Of course, there are times when it’s more appropriate to use a formal letter.  If a physician has not responded to prior collegial efforts, a letter may help to convey the seriousness of the matter.  Also, the applicable Medical Staff policy should always be checked to ensure it does not require correspondence to be sent via certified mail or some other form of “Special Notice.”  This is typically the case where a matter has progressed to a formal Investigation or a Medical Staff hearing is under way.

January 31, 2019

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        When a concern is raised about the behavior of a Medical Staff member, we’ve typically referred it to our department chairs. The chairs give it their best shot, but we were wondering if there’s a better way?

ANSWER:            Yes! There are many drawbacks to asking a single individual — regardless of who that person is — to deal with difficult behavioral matters.

First, the department chair is often either a competitor or partner of the physician under review. This can make it difficult for the department chair regardless of whether an actual “conflict of interest” exists.

Also, depending on the size of a department, the department chair may not deal with many behavioral concerns. As a result, the chair never obtains enough experience to become truly comfortable addressing behavioral issues.

Individual department chairs have no built-in opportunity to brainstorm about the issues under review. If they want to seek assistance, they have to find another physician leader and bring that person up to speed.

Thus, we recommend that a core group of physician leaders — referred to as a Leadership Council — handle behavioral concerns. The Leadership Council might be comprised of the Chief of Staff, Chair of the Professional Practice Evaluation/Peer Review Committee, and Chief Medical Officer. The advantages of using a Leadership Council to handle behavioral concerns include:

  • consistency across departments (no more variability based on the personality of individual department chairs);
  • easier to avoid conflicts of interest;
  • permits department chairs to preserve their working relationships with physicians under review;
  • expertise through experience;
  • emphasizes the importance of the issue and enhances the credibility of the physician leadership because a group of leaders – not a single person – is speaking with the physician under review; and
  • problems are discussed by a small group, which promotes the exchange and development of ideas.

For more information on Leadership Councils and other important topics, please join us at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort in Orlando, FL on March 7-9, 2019 for The Peer Review Clinic.

June 29, 2017

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        We’ve taken steps in the last year to change the perception of peer review from punitive to educational.  We’ve eliminated scoring, increased the use of educational sessions to share lessons learned from the review process, and created accountability for fixing system/process concerns that are identified during the review process.  Overall, our physicians feel the process is much improved.  However, there are occasional holdouts who refuse to provide input when their cases are under review, and who seem intent on simply delaying the review process.  What can we do?

ANSWER:            Obtaining timely and meaningful input from the physician under review is an essential element of an effective and fair professional practice evaluation (“PPE”) process.  Giving the physician an opportunity to provide input enhances the credibility of the process and encourages everyone involved to think critically about a case.

There are several fundamental rules to obtaining input.  Most importantly, PPE policies should state that no “intervention” (such as an educational letter or a performance improvement plan) will occur until a physician has been given the opportunity to provide input.  Also, physicians should be given the opportunity to provide both written and verbal input by meeting with those conducting a review.  Input can be obtained at any point in the process, and multiple requests for input may be made.

If a reviewer has questions about a case, the physician should be notified of the concerns.  Any letter to the physician must be carefully drafted to avoid giving the impression that a decision about the case has already been made.

The PPE policy should also make clear that a physician cannot stop the review process by not providing input.  PPE policies should state that individuals who fail to provide input when requested by the PPEC can be deemed to have temporarily and voluntarily relinquished their clinical privileges until the input is provided.  Such relinquishments do not entitle the physician to a Medical Staff hearing or appeal, nor are they reportable to any federal or state government agency.  Instead, they are merely an administrative “time-out” until the physician provides the requested information.

To learn more about PPE best practices, join Paul Verardi and Phil Zarone by dialing in for the upcoming audio conference: Professional Practice Evaluation Policy — Special Topics on July 11.