Measuring Clinical Performance

Given the sea change brought by Joint Commission standards calling for Focused and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE/OPPE), and the scientific underpinnings of the medical profession, it's astonishing that clinical performance measurement is so severely misunderstood.

This whitepaper attempts to resolve the dissonance between the medical profession’s scientific training and the unscientific way in which peer review is commonly conducted. It offers a probable explanation, points the way to improved clinical peer review methodology, and highlights the potential benefits. It was published in the November/December 2009 issue of the Physician Executive Journal.

The Peer Review Improvement Opportunity

Reviews the failures of the QA Model for peer review and, thereby, highlights the rationale for adopting the QI Model.

Reflections on Medical Staff Bylaws

Bylaws are the foundation for medical staff governance. This whitepaper looks at general considerations with respect to modifying the bylaws and then focuses specifically on those provisions which might best support the QI Model for peer review.

Minimizing Bias in Clinical Peer Review

Biased judgments are an anathema to the peer review process. This whitepaper explores the common sources of bias and discusses strategies to mitigate them. It was published in the November/December 2011 issue of the Physician Executive Journal.

Engaging Physicians in Patient Safety

Fear of reprisals inhibits physicians from greater engagement in the identification and analysis of adverse events. This whitepaper explores the potential value of the Federal Patient Safety Act and the QI Model for clinical peer review in correcting the problem. It was published in the July/August 2012 issue of the Physician Executive Journal.

A Framework for Patient Safety

A lack of conceptual models has hampered efforts to improve patient safety. This whitepaper offers a conceptual framework to help leaders identify leverage points for improvement and highlights commonly overlooked opportunities. A significantly enhanced version was published online first February 25, 2016 in the American Journal of Medical Quality.