title: Attitudes to peer review as a competence assurance structure--results of a survey of Irish physicians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Medical Council in Ireland is currently implementing Competence Assurance Structures (CAS). Peer review has been proposed as a tool to measure physician competence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the attitudes of physicians working in the Irish healthcare system to a peer review programme of competence assurance prior to its implementation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A postal survey was sent to all physicians in the Irish Medical Directory in November 2003. Nine questions were asked to gauge attitudes to peer review as a CA tool. The returned questionnaires were collated and data extracted based on responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 67%. The majority of respondents (92%) felt peer review would inform competence assurance in Ireland. Most physicians who were surveyed felt an on-site assessment (88%) every 5 years (87%) was the preferred method. Over 30% responded that there should be a financial incentive for completing a review, and 70% would pay to be assessed. The UK model of competence assurance was the model most physicians preferred for the Irish setting (42%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of physicians practising in Ireland would favour a peer review system of competence assurance. The financial implications, and structure, of such a system would need to be explored prior to implementation.
authors.affiliation: Dept of General Medicine, St James's Hospital, Dublin.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dugal
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Silke
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D018024:Peer Review, Health Care; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards; D016730:Program Development; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires