What is Peer Review?

Peer Review also called Physician peer review is a formal process in which healthcare professionals, typically fellow physicians in the same specialty, evaluate a colleague's clinical performance, decision-making, and adherence to established standards of care.

Conducted primarily in hospitals and medical groups, its main goals are to improve patient safety and quality of care, identify areas for professional improvement, support credentialing and privileging decisions, and address potential substandard practice.

The process often involves retrospective review of patient charts, outcomes, and procedures by a peer review committee. It is mandated by The Joint Commission for hospital accreditation and protected under laws like the federal Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA) and state statutes (e.g., California's Business & Professions Code §805, which requires reporting certain disciplinary actions to the Medical Board).