Peer review: a secret affair?
Recent statutes and judicial decisions rendering the records and documents of quality assurance committees not subject to discovery and/or inadmissible in evidence are tactically ill advised, probably unconstitutional, and clearly self-defeating. A better alternative would be to allow access to the documents and information to all parties with a legitimate interest and to grant physicians immunity from tort liability for actions performed in good faith during the peer review process.
D003219:Confidentiality; D006753:Hospital Records / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008499:Medical Records / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010380:Peer Review / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States