VPQHC Peer Review Network FAQs
What is peer review?
Peer review includes the routine review of patient charts for performance evaluation, education, and reappointment as well as the review of potential quality concerns, with the patient at the center. The intent of peer review is to focus on learning and performance improvement opportunities.
What is the purpose of the VPQHC Peer Review Network?
A priority of Vermont’s hospitals is to enhance and improve the peer review of their medical staff. Due to the small size of many Vermont hospitals, peer review committees are frequently challenged to find peers to review the quality of the services provided by their medical staff members. Many hospitals have physicians on their active staff for whom there is no peer, or the only available peers have a conflict of interest, such as being in practice with the individual they are to review. In addition, at times internal peer reviews lack a strong consensus, or conclusions are reached that are conflicting, or ambiguous, and which would benefit from an external eye.
In 2001, in an effort to make peers more widely available to Vermont hospital peer review committees, Vermont’s hospitals and the Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care established a statewide peer review network from which hospitals may draw physicians to conduct or assist in peer reviews. Hospitals may draw from the network for a peer review to help improve the quality of care provided by medical staff, monitor the performance of medical staff, or identify areas for performance improvement.
How is confidentiality for the VPQHC Peer Review Network maintained?
Under 26 V.S.A. §1443, proceedings, reports and information shared as part of a peer review committee’s activity shall be confidential and privileged and shall not be disclosed in any court proceeding or otherwise unless authorized by the peer review committee. All activities related to the statewide peer review pool shall be conducted under appropriate peer review committee procedures to maintain the confidentiality and privilege of the peer review process as provided by Vermont statute, 26 V.S.A. §1441-1443.
The work convened by VPQHC in establishing a statewide physician pool is protected under peer review confidentiality. Additionally, all physician participants sign a confidentiality agreement as a member of the VPQHC statewide physician peer review network, and enter into a separate peer review committee contract with any individual hospital with whom he or she contracts to provide specific peer review services. All contracts between hospitals and individual physician pool participants are structured such that the physician pool participant receives and reports information to the appropriate hospital peer review committee thereby invoking that hospital’s peer review committee protection.
What are reasons a hospital may request a peer reviewer from the VPQHC Peer Review Network?
Hospitals may draw from the VPQHC Peer Review Network for a peer review to help improve the quality of care provided by medical staff, monitor the performance of medical staff, or identify areas for performance improvement.
What hospitals contribute Physician Peer Reviewers to the VPQHC Physician Peer Review Network?
Historically, all Vermont hospitals and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center have contributed physician peer reviewers to the VPQHC Peer Review Network.
How are physicians for the VPQHC Peer Review Network selected?
Physician nominations are put forth by the president of the medical staff at each hospital, in consultation with the chair of the medical staff executive/peer review committee, or other appropriate medical staff. Nominations are approved by the Hospital CEO. Physicians participating in the pool must be:
An active member of the medical staff of a participating hospital (not provisional medical staff)
Board certified in the specialty for which the physician will be a reviewer
How often is the VPQHC Peer Review Network updated?
It is updated biannually. We may begin updating the network on an annual basis moving forward.
What are the criteria for physician participation in the VPQHC Peer Review Network?
Physicians participating in the pool must meet be:
An active member of the medical staff of a participating hospital (no provisional medical staff)
Board certified in the specialty for which the physician will be a reviewer
Nominated by the president of the medical staff in consultation with the chair of the medical executive/peer review committee or other appropriate medical staff. The nominations are to be approved by the CEO of the hospital.
Where is the VPQHC Peer Review Network Portal housed?
The VPQHC Peer Review Network Portal is housed here on our website. A username and password is required to access the portal. VPQHC can be contacted directly to obtain login credentials.
Who can request a peer reviewer from the VPQHC Peer Review Network?
Hospitals can call physicians from the pool directly and negotiate individual contracts with each reviewer. A contract template is available here. All contracts are signed by the hospital and the physician reviewer. Each hospital will provide the physician reviewer with a format for his or her review comments.